Ancient Enemy
by TheColorsInShadow
Summary: The Kurans and the Kiriyus have been fighting for ages. A peace treaty between the two has been devised...but will this strange new bond between Kaname and Zero become something more...potent? Rating dropped.
1. Chapter 1

"_Remember, son, the Kurans are our worst enemies. If you ever come across one of those monsters that call themselves royalty, kill it on sight. They aren't human, Zero. Always remember that."_

_The silver haired boy with lilac eyes stared solemnly at his father, who sat at the foot of the six year old's bed. Zero nodded slowly, his child's mind still too young to understand the ancient hate that ran in his veins, the ancient war he was already playing part in._

"_I won't forget, Papa."_

"_Never trust a Kiriyu, Kaname. They're evil demons with black hearts. They have no compassion, and will kill you on sight even if you have done them no harm. Just stay away from any densely populated human town and you should be safe. The Hunters will destroy you if you even set foot within a human town. Beware of them, son."_

_The seven year old vampire prince stared wide eyed at his mother, who stood at his bedside with a serious expression on her face. His chocolate-crimson eyes suddenly closed, and his mouth turned up into a smile._

"_Hai, kaa-san. I'll never trust one of the Hunters. They're evil. Right, Kaa-san?"_

_His mother smiled sadly and ruffled the boy's chocolate locks._

"_That's right Kaname. They're your enemy. Don't trust them, whatever you do."_

The huge, ancient bell tolled for the final time as a lone teenager ran at full speed down a hallway. He had a book clenched in one hand, a silver gun at his hip, and a look of intense determination on his face. His short silver hair flew out behind him as he rushed headlong around a sharp corner, barely avoiding smashing into one of the stone walls that lined the corridors. With a mental wince at the thought of himself faceplanting into the wall, the boy continued to dash down the halls, nearly missing a few important turns, and stumbling once or twice over the ornate rugs on the floor.

The teen skidded comically around the final corner before stopping at a heavy wooden door, carved intricately with the Hunter crest: two anti-vampire guns crossed over and open eye.

With his hands on his knees and gasping for breath, Kiriyu Zero mentally damned his teacher to the deepest depths of Hell. He, after all, was the reason for this insane marathon that Zero had run. With another string of silent curses, Zero straightened slowly and knocked loudly on the door in front of him.

"Come in." A chipper voice sounded from within. Zero rolled his eyes quickly before opening the door and walking silently through.

The room he had just entered was probably the most strangely decorated room he had ever seen in his life, or ever _would_ see. The walls were draped with old photographs, all of which contained either a smiling girl, a man with a cowboy-like hat and wild black hair, or – much to Zero's dismay – his own pale features. The floor was made of different colored tiles, seemingly glued together by a blind child. The only two pieces of furniture in the room was an immense desk and an equally immense chair behind it. A chair that was, surprisingly, empty of its owner.

Zero quirked his eyebrow as he stared at the vacant chair, before he heard a loud creak behind him. He whirled around quickly, just fast enough to see the large door swing shut seemingly on its own. Before the teen could register what had happened, he heard a small cough from behind him. Whirling around again, he noted in disbelief that a man was lounged back in his chair, feet up on the desk and sipping a cup of tea, as if he had been there all along.

Zero felt the vein in his forehead start to pulse, and he pressed his fingers to his temples and counted to ten. After he had one this about twenty times, he opened his eyes and glared at the man in front of him, who was still lounging and sipping his tea.

"Headmaster Cross…what the HELL are you doing?"

The man looked up as if surprised that the boy was even there.

"Ah…Kiriyu-kun, I didn't even notice you come in." Zero felt his irritation rising once again, and gritted his teeth in frustration.

_Seriously, how old is this guy? 20? More like 4…._

The silver haired teen held up the book he still held clenched in his hand. "Yagari-sensei told me to get this to you as soon as possible. He said it was extremely important."

The headmaster looked at the book in interest, got up from his chair and skipped over to where the teen was standing, holding the book at arms length as if it were infected with a contagious disease.

"Oh, Kiriyu-kun, thank you so much~!" The man proclaimed, his long blonde ponytail swishing back and forth. Zero shuddered and practically threw the book at the man.

"There you go. I'm leaving now."

As he turned to leave, he heard the headmaster squeal in delight.

"Oh, Yagari, you're so kind! It's the latest addition to my favorite series~! Oh, Kiriyu-kun, tell Yagari…"

The silver haired teenager never heard the end of the order, as he had rushed headlong from the room to go find his sensei, and brutally kill him for sending him on this 'important' errand.

"Kaname-sama! ….._Kaname-sama!_"

The bored looking teen swept his gaze over the room packed with elite vampires and stifled a yawn. He realized that someone was whispering in his ear, and he supposed he should be listening.

…At least he should know who it was, right?

"_**Kaname-sama!**_" The voice sounded again, even more impatient this time. Kaname sighed irritadedly and looked over to his right. Aidou, his closest friend since practically birth, was glaring at him with a pink earring dangling between his fingertips.

"Yes, Aidou….what are you doing with that? I've been looking for it all day…."

Aidou's expression didn't lighten. "Very funny, Kaname. I found this in my ear just a few minutes ago. I don't suppose you know how it got there?"

The vampire prince couldn't help smirking. He knew very well how the earring ended up in his best friend's ear. "Oh, I haven't a clue, Aidou…I suppose you put it there this morning before the party?"

You could almost _see _Aidou's temper rising. His sapphire eyes sparkled accusingly as he waved the earring in front of the pureblood's face.

"Yeah, well let me tell ya, Kaname-_ouji-sama, _but I most definitely didn't put this in this morning. I might wear earrings, but not this – " Aidou blushed when he realized what he said, and Kaname's smirk grew lager. He loved toing with Aidou. It was just so entertaining.

"A-Anyway, I also wonder who could be the culprit, Mr. I-can-move-things-with-my-mind-and-I'm-really-bored-lets-screw-with-Aidou-again-Kaname-sama."

Kaname sighed again, bored with the argument already. "Yeah, it was me. Congrats, Aidou. It's really you're fault for not noticing faster. Did you think those girls you were talking to were laughing at your jokes? They noticed it, but you didn't"

Aidou opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no sound came out. Finally, he stormed off through the large crowds that were still milling around, even this late in the party. Kaname rolled his eyes at his friend's dramatic exit. He'd apologize later if he felt like it.

_I wish something exciting would happen. I'm getting bored with party after party. I'm almost wishing the Kiriyus would attack again…then at least I'd have something to kill…_

Kaname slouched deeper in his chair at the front of the room, resigning himself to another long, boring night of dancing, eating, and boredom.

_When will something exciting happen around here? _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It means a lot, as this is my first stab at anything that resembles a fanfic. **

**A few notes on the story line that I should have put at the beginning of the first chapter (oops)**

**Zero is NOT a vampire. Yuuki is neither a pureblood, a vampire, OR Kaname's sister. The chairman is still as weird as ever. And I went a little…crazy with Kaname. But it WILL all make sense in the end, I promise. I'm sorry for the range of slight to extreme OOC-ness…especially in this chapter. o_o"**

**Thanks again! **

**Oh, and watch out for language in this chapter. ^_^" **

"YAGARI-SENSEI! LOOK OUT!"

The raven-haired man had just enough time to throw himself at the ground before a blast from the latest anti-vampire artillery sizzled over his head. He lifted his head slightly, cautiously looking around before completely lifting himself of the ground and slinking into a standing position once again. Yagari turned slowly to glare at his student, who was holding his brand new gun pointed innocently at the ground, a blush dusting his cheeks as he averted his eyes.

"Ah…sorry about that, Yagari-sensei…" The boy muttered, moving his gaze from one of the rocks on the ground to the cloudy grey sky, apparently captivated by the thunderheads that were forming.

Yagari sighed heavily, adjusting his hat and glaring weakly at his top student.

"Zero, be more careful with that thing, it really isn't a toy. …Well, it is a toy, it's just a very powerful, very dangerous one. Please don't aim it at me ever again."

Zero finally made eye contact with his teacher, the light dusting across his cheeks turning into a full on blush. "I know that, Yagari-sensei…I just lost control, that's all."

Yagari snorted. "Oh, is that all? Well, that's not so bad then." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes up to the sky and back down to the silver haired ten year old. Zero was glaring at him, gun still pointed at the ground, lilac eyes indignant and proud.

Yagari smirked. "You'll make a good hunter, kid. Just work on your aim."

BLAM

Shit.

BLAM

**Shit**

BLAM

"Oh, forget it!" The silver haired teen threw his Bloody Rose at the muddy ground, watching in satisfaction when the dirt soiled the silver luster of the weapon. He had been practicing all day, ever since he had received a twenty-four hour notice that he was being sent on a mission. His aim, however, seemed to be deteriorating as the hours wore on, and he was contemplating calling it quits.

"Gotta love the Hunter way of doing things…go ahead, drop everything you're doing and go on this mission…it's not like you're doing anything important this weekend anyway." Zero muttered to himself, stalking over to where he threw his gun and cleaning it guiltily with his sleeve. His Rose was almost alive, it seemed, and shouldn't be treated as just another gun.

Placing the semi-cleaned weapon back in its holster, Zero turned back toward the Hunter headquarters to pack for his trip. He was leaving bright and early in the next few hours on a solo mission, deep into Kuran territory to try and bring back a comrade.

"Well, this outta be interesting."

"You know what you're doing, Zero? No questions?"

The teen rolled his eyes, waving his hand in a flippant manner. "Yes, yes, Yagari-sensei, you've only asked me this a million times. I'm going to Kuran castle to rescue Yuuki, who has somehow managed to get herself captured AGAIN. Really, can we lock her up? She's a danger to society, I tell you…"

Yagari shook his head solemnly, casting a glare at Zero, looking for any signs that the plan wasn't going…well, as planned. But so far everything seemed to be in place. Zero was buying it.

Well, you can leave now…remember, don't tell anyone you're real name, wear your coat, don't talk to stra –"

"KAMI! Yagari, would you please stop acting like a mother? Just cause my parents died years ago doesn't mean you have permission to fill in for them." Zero tried to look annoyed, but a small smile was forming at the corner of his mouth. Yagari grinned himself, before shooing his pupil out of the room.

"Go, go, before I tag along with you out of worry. Just be careful, Zero. I don't want the next time I see you to be at your funeral."

Zero rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the stunning words of motivation. I'll see you in a few days."

The teen waved aimlessly as he strode out of the room. Yagari watched out the window at the rainy courtyard, silently observing as his student walked down the long, winding road that led to everywhere and nowhere.

"No, you won't, Zero. You may never see me again. Best of luck, Kiriyu."

"NO, Kaname-sama, you can't go out there!"

The vampire prince turned swiftly on his heel, his aura shining darkly around him. Behind him, one of the huge stained-glass windows shattered into a million pieces. The vampire in front of him ducked and screamed silently as he was showered in pieces of razor sharp glass.

Kaname grabbed the sobbing, bleeding vampire by the throat. His eyes were a deep crimson, and glowing with anger.

"Don't you DARE tell me what to do, you fucking low-life. One more word from you and you'll never speak again."

The vampire whimpered in fear and nodded his head, straining to breathe around Kaname's death grip on his throat. The royal vampire smirked darkly and threw the vampire into a wall, not caring whether he lived or died.

"Let the servants clean up that mess." He thought to himself as he turned and continued on his way out of the castle. No matter what anyone told him, he WAS going to go outside and meet the 'guest' that would be staying at his castle until further notice. Kaname smirked again as he thought of the things he would do to the Kiriyu that was by now walking up the path that led to the main gate.

**Three days prior**

"Kaname-sama?"

Kaname looked up to see Ichijo, his secretary of sorts, peek his head into his quarters, holding a letter in his hand. Kaname beckoned the other vampire in, and walked over to the door to greet him.

"Ichijo…to what do I owe the honor?"

Ichijo smiled and bowed, handing the latter to Kaname. "The honor is mine, Kaname-ouji-sama. This letter was just delivered by a Kiriyu messenger, who begged that he be allowed to return safely to his homeland. I obliged his wishes…he should be halfway to the border now. I sent an armed guard with him of course. Can't be too careful, can we?"

Kaname had, honestly, tuned out Ichijo as soon as he had the letter in hand. Now, reading the small, handwritten script, he couldn't help a feral grin from forming on his face.

"To Kuran Kaname,

My name is Yagari Touga, Head of the Hunter organization, and tutor to a young man named Kiriyu Zero. It is my understanding that you and yours wish to form a peace treaty with me and mine. I am willing to go along with this treaty, and propose a rather interesting way of doing it. I propose that we each send one person of great value to us to the enemy's castle to live. This will be a permanent arrangement, and the candidates chosen will have no contact with their fellows. I have already decided that if this plan is to go through, I will send my star pupil, Kiriyu, to stay with you at your castle. Please respond to this letter as soon as –humanly- possible. I will be awaiting your messenger with your reply.

Oh, and please don't kill our messenger. We're running out of people to send.

Sincerely,

Yagari Touga, Head of the Hunter Association."

Kaname dropped the letter and laughed maniacally. Ichijo, who had already read the letter prior to delivering it, was slightly shocked by Kaname's reaction. He really didn't think there was anything funny about the letter.

The vampire prince's laughter finally died as he picked up the letter and handed it back to Ichijo.

"Go, write back saying that we agree to this arrangement, and mill be sending Aidou Hanabusa as our…sacrifice, if you will. Dispatch Aidou with the letter, and don't let him leave the Kiriyu castle once he delivers it. Write that in the letter somewhere. Go now."

Ichijo bowed deeply and exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Kaname flung himself onto his bed, his laughter bubbling up once again and spilling over his grinning lips.

"This is going to be fun~"

**Present**

Zero peered through the pelting rain at the castle looming in front of him. It was, without a doubt, the Kuran residence, since there were guards stationed at every possible entrance. Even the teen, expert Hunter that he was, was having trouble finding a way in. It wasn't like he could just waltz in through the front door…

As if to prove him wrong, the front door opened slowly, and the silver haired teen squinted to see who was now exiting the castle. He couldn't make out anything detailed from this distance, but he could tell that it wasn't just one of the soldiers patrolling the grounds. This man walked far too smoothly for a soldier.

Plus, the fact he wasn't wearing any armour was a dead giveaway.

"So the plan is, I jump him, sneak him away, and make him tell me where Yuuki is without being seen. Piece of cake."

"Or not."

Zero whirled around, startled by the sound of an unknown voice behind him, but before he could see who it was, he was hit over the head with something hard, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Shiki smirked at the knocked out figure sprawled on the ground for a solid minute before slinging him over his shoulder and carrying him to where Kaname stood, impatiently tapping his foot.

"Took you long enough, Shiki."

Shiki bowed, shifting his burden so that he didn't fall on his face. His never changing expression kept its bored look as he walked past the prince into the castle.

"I had to find the kid first…and he's good at hiding. Musta played a lot of Hide and Seek as a kid"

Kaname grinned blackly at the thought of other games he could play with his captive. Yagari was a fool, sending this boy here, straight into the lion's den.

"Take him to my chambers…and make sure he doesn't go anywhere."

Shiki bowed once again and disappeared up the grand staircase in the middle of the room.

Kaname leaned against the railing and smiled to himself, maniacal laughter once again forming on his lips.

"Kiriyu, you aren't going to know what hit you."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank so much everyone for your amazing reviews! *dies from happiness* I'm so happy that everyone seems to like my twisted version of Vampire Knight~**

**Oh, speaking of which**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or any of the characters associated thereof. Trust me, if I DID own VK, you would know….:3**

**So on to other things…**

**I absolutely despise this chapter. For one, short chapter is short. Sorry about that. The next one is longer, I promise. For two…I was intending this to be a yaoi chapter….but yeah…I chickened out *goes and hides in corner of gloom* So if this chapter makes no sense or seems out of place…trust me, I feel the same. .**

**But it DOES hold an important key for the story to go on, so I guess it's not completely useless ^_^"**

**Anyway, here it is, hope you like…**

Zero came to slowly, his eyelids seeming to weigh a thousand pounds as he struggled to open them. Not only that, but his thoughts were clouded, and impossible to understand. It reminded him of that time when he drank too much wine at a friend's party. Yagari had thrown a fit when he found out…

"Yagari…"

Suddenly the weights on Zero's eyes were lifted as he sat straight up in bed, mind racing I mile a minute. He instantly regretted his quick actions, however, when a head splitting pain shot from one temple to the other. Zero cried out in pain, falling back onto the soft pillows and blankets of an unfamiliar bed.

Only then did he notice the chains around his ankles and wrists, and the seductively dark aura of the vampire standing in the darkest corner of the dimly lit room.

"Enjoying your stay so far, Kiriyu? I don't give this treatment to all my guests, after all. You should be honored."

Zero was still writhing in pain on the bed, already straining against the iron chains that held him captive. Kaname growled softly at the sight, causing Zero to freeze and try to pinpoint where exactly the pureblood was.

Kaname made it easy for him, walking slowly over to where the Hunter lay chained, smirking darkly at him before leaning over and capturing his lips in a kiss.

Zero screamed and jerked his head violently sideways, tearing his lips from the vampires and immediately launching into a string of curses.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you fucking son of a bitch? What are you, some kind of pervert?"

Kaname grinned, exposing his fangs to the younger male in an animalistic grin. Zero felt his pulse quicken unwillingly at the sight, and his breath caught in his throat.

Kaname chuckled blackly and leaned forward to whisper in his captive's ear.

"That's exactly what I am." He said, licking the teen's ear once before biting down gently with his fangs.

Zero gasped and jerked his head to the side once again, trying to get his face as far away from Kaname's mouth as possible. The pureblood wouldn't have it, however. His eyes glowed a disturbing crimson as he reached up and secured Zero's head between his two large hands. The Hunter struggled against the grip, but a rough shake from the vampire abruptly stopped his squirming.

"This doesn't have to be hard, Kiriyu." The vampire whispered, leaning his face towards Zero's so that their foreheads were almost touching. "This doesn't have to be painful…if you relax, you might even enjoy it." The calm, soothing tone that the pureblood had taken on drained away with every passing word, his lips turning once again into a feral smile. Zero shuddered, the very scent of the vampire starting to get to him. He could feel his senses heighten, and his hands unwillingly went to the pureblood's waist, shackles clanking and he leaned in slightly.

Kaname's eyes glowed a brighter red as he realized what was happening to the Hunter. A black chuckle spilled over his lips as he threw Zero back against the bed. Zero cried out quietly as he flailed so a moment, trying to regain a tiny bit of balance. Kaname used his few seconds of weakness to position the Hunter according to his plan. When Zero focused on his surroundings again, he felt his face redden at the awkward pose he was in. The vampire was kneeling in between the Hunter's spread legs, placing his hands on the bed on either side of Zero's waist, and staring at him through half lidded eyes.

"Shall we begin?" Kaname asked, smirking darkly. He darted forward and once again claimed the Hunter's lips, swallowing his answer before it could even be formed. Zero didn't struggle this time, resigning himself to the fact that the pureblood wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

Kaname grinned to himself when Zero started responding, **finally**, to his ministrations. As a reward, the vampire quickly swiped his tongue along the hunter's bottom lip. Zero gasped, his hands instinctively grabbing Kaname's head to pull him closer. He patiently waited for the pureblood to kiss him like that again, but as the seconds wore on, he realized the vampire was playing with him.

With a growl, Zero finally gave up the submissive shit. He grabbed a fistful of Kaname's chocolate colored hair and crashed his lips on the pureblood's, noting with glee that the vampire was taken completely by surprise. The hunter bit down on Kaname's lower lip harshly, drawing a single bead of crimson blood. Not even thinking about what he was doing, Zero lapped it up before biting down again, drawing a few more drops.

Kaname moaned, kissing the Hunter more urgently than before, his hands gripping Zero's waist and pressing his flushed body up against every piece of fevered skin he could find on his partner. Zero shuddered, wrapping his legs around the vampire's waist and deepening the kiss, darting his tongue around the inside of the pureblood's mouth, moaning slightly at the taste.

He tasted like blood.

Kaname lost any last modicum of restraint he had, throwing the surprised hunter once again on his back and attacked his lips, alternating between biting and kissing. Before long Zero's lips were a bleeding mess, and he could feel the red liquid trickling down from the corner of his mouth. Kaname paused to observe the small trail of blood with avid curiosity, before leaning in slowly and lapping up the redness. The vampire continued to clean the Hunter's face, licking Zero's lips clean of any remaining blood and gently kissing them, as if in apology.

Kaname froze suddenly and pulled back, a look of confusion on his face. His eyes were shining with a strange light, not the crimson tint of bloodlust that was no longer apparent, but a gentler light, almost affectionate. Zero gasped quietly as one of Kaname's large hands stroked his face, slowly, from temple to jaw. Zero shuddered as the pureblood leaned forward and followed the same trail with his lips, leaving light butterfly kisses along the hunter's jaw and neck. He rested his lips on Zero's pulse point, breathing slowly in and out as he felt the hunter's accelerated heartbeat beneath his lips.

He leaned back again to look in his captive's eyes. They, too, were clouded over in confusion and the remains of lust, the lilac orbs seeming to cut into the vampire's very being. He shuddered, and closed the silver-haired teen's eyes with his fingers.

"Sleep." He whispered roughly, and watched as well as heard the Hunter immediately fall into a deep, dreamless slumber, his breath rate evening out and the tension in his body relaxing.

Kaname watched the boy sleep for what seemed like forever, his mind in turmoil. He finally stood and walked toward the door, sparing the Hunter a final glance before exiting the room.

_This…is bad._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: OMG REVIEWS! Thank you so so much~! I was hardly expecting that chapter to be liked *blushes* **

**And this chapter IS longer, like I promised. :3 Hopefully it will explain some things. **

**Chapter 5 will, unfortunately, not be up as quickly as these chapters have been, seeing how as I haven't written it yet. And I have a paper to write and a project to finish… *hangs head***

**But that's the next chapter~ I'm gonna shut up now so you can read this one. :P Enjoy~! **

_A myriad of images played behind his closed eyelids. Flashes of crimson illuminated bloody scenes, depicting razed villages, bodies strewn along the streets, and fires reaching and flickering toward the heavens in a taunting dance. His view changed suddenly as he was yanked out of himself, and turned around. His eyes widened as he found himself staring into the tear stained face of a young Kaname Kuran, his blood-stained features set into a mask of rage that wasn't fitting for such a young child. He seemed oblivious to the other's presence, and fell to his knees, holding a single black rose in his left hand. The boy's shoulders shook with silent sobs as the devilish flames around him consumed the last building of his home city. _

"_Kaa-san…you were right…" The boy muttered, his young, tear-filled eyes turning a blazing crimson as the rose in his hand shattered into a million fragments. _

"…_Never trust a Kiriyu."_

_The flames rose higher into the sky as the young prince stood and ran out of the burning city, the blackened petals of the rose dancing into the sky in his wake._

Zero's eyes flew open, and he grabbed the silken sheets in shock as he lay gasping for breath. He felt his heartbeat pick up and his mind kick into overtime as he struggled to separate dream from reality. He could still see the bloody flames climbing higher and higher behind his eyelids, consuming him from the inside. At the same time, he could see the dimly lit room and the huge arched window that let the watery light of the moon splash onto his prone form. The hunter slammed his eyes shut, the flickering images still playing in his mind. He felt a single tear creep down his cheek, and he left it there, too distracted by his silent screams to wipe it away. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, tasting the sharp tang of his blood as his teeth broke the skin.

The door to the room opened quietly, and Zero threw himself against the wooden headboard of the bed against his own accord. His screams finally evolved from silent to verbal, and as he felt the first one tear from his lips, the disturbing images behind his clenched eyelids increased in rapidity and number. New scenes were added to the already sick cinematic. The bloody forms lying in the street were given names, faces, and personalities. Zero became acquainted with every person in one instant, and watched them die in the next. He heard their screams in the echo of his own, and his clasped his ears, trying in vain to block them out.

He barely even registered the person next to him, grasping his arms and forcing them to his sides. He writhed and screamed, the images growing impossibly more lucid and bloody at the mere touch of the person next to him. He threw his head back and screamed, feeling something in the back of his throat tear, and something start to trickle wetly down his face. The hands constraining him tightened their hold, and he faintly heard someone calling his name through the haze of red over his mind.

_Zero!_

He whimpered in pain, more tears welling up behind his shut eyelids. His breathing slowed as the images started to fade, his mind falling into blessed quiet. He felt someone's hand brush a strand of hair out of his sweat soaked face, wiping away the tears with gentle fingers. The person called his name again, his voice quiet and calming, chasing away any of the remaining images.

_Zero…it's over._

He shuddered violently as he recognized the voice, and slowly opened his eyes. He felt his face twist into a faint scowl at Kaname, who was leaning slightly over him, hands cupping his face and a worried look in his eyes. The silver haired teen tried to wiggle away from the vampire, but the pureblood's hands gently held him in place. He was forced to look into the chocolate-crimson eyes of the pureblood, and the multiple emotions playing out in his face. Zero felt his scowl disappear as he was caught up in the structure of Kaname's eyes, the way the iris started at black, morphed slowly into dark brown, and then melted into red around the edges. He could feel the pureblood studying him in the same manner, and he blushed slightly and averted his eyes, not wanting to be observed so intimately at such close distant. There were emotions behind his eyes that the hunter didn't want anyone to see, let alone his worst enemy.

"Ku – "

As soon as Zero tried to speak, the back of his throat burst into pain, sharp pins and needles stabbing him through the neck. His eyes widened in surprise, and the pain faded away slowly, before finally settling to a dull ache.

He glanced over at Kaname, a silent question in his eyes. The pureblood shook his head softly as he felt gently around Zero's throat, trying not to be distracted by the feel of the hunter's pulse beneath his fingers. He closed his eyes in concentration, silently searching for the problem behind the teen's skin.

After a long minute, the pureblood reopened his eyes and smiled softly at the hunter beneath him. Zero gasped silently at the sight, the small smile seeming to light up the vampire's face with the brightest moonlight, his eyes shining with a soft light indescribable by any known color. He could see his own eyes reflected slightly in Kaname's the lilac melding with the crimson and chocolate.

_His eyes are beautiful like that. _The hunter thought absently, before catching himself and shaking his head violently. He glared at the pureblood, silently yelling at him with his eyes to tell him what was wrong with him.

Kaname smirked, and twisted a strand of Zero's silver hair between his fingers. He spoke quietly, the mocking tone in his voice so light it could almost be mistaken for teasing.

"It seems, my _dear _captive, that you have torn your vocal chords. You won't be speaking for a while, I'm happy to inform. At least now I won't have to listen to you yelling in my ear day in and day out….not to mention all night as well."

His smirk grew wider as Zero roughly pushed the pureblood off of himself, sitting up and stretching obviously ignoring the person seated not two inches from him.

Without warning, Kaname grabbed the hunter's wrist and swung him around to face him. Zero's eyes widened in surprise as Kaname tapped his nose with a small piece of paper and handed him a pen. When Zero looked at him in confusion, Kaname rolled his eyes and patted the hunter's head in a degrading manner.

"Why don't you tell me why exactly you were screaming so early in the night? You woke me from a very entertaining dream, and I think I deserve an explanation."

Zero glared at the vampire prince, but started writing nonetheless.

A few minutes later he handed the paper back to Kaname and crossed his arms, waiting for the pureblood to hurry up and read so he could get away from him.

Kaname glanced down at the paper, expecting the explanation to be something trivial. But as he recognized the setting of the hunter's dream, his brow furrowed and he read the slip of paper more closely.

**I was seeing a burning town, and there were people's bodies spread all over the place. I was suddenly ripped away from my body and saw that I had been looking through your eyes, only you were a young boy. You were crying and said something about never trusting a Kiriyu. When I woke up all I could see were the same images playing over and over again. They got worse when you walked in the room and even worse when you touched me. I want to know how you got in my head, Kuran. This has never happened before…**

Kaname's eyes widened in shock as he realized what Zero had dreamed.

_Why…why is he dreaming my memories?_

The pureblood's eyes settled on the hunter's lips, recalling the small amount of blood he had drunk from them the night before. He touched his own lips, suddenly remembering that Zero had also taken some blood from him. Kaname practically flew out the door, letting the paper in his hand flutter to the ground and slamming the door in his wake, leaving Zero to stare bewilderedly after him

_What…the hell?_

Kaname gripped the edges of the sink in his private bathroom, shaking uncontrollably and mentally pacing back and forth. He relived the brief, blood-lusted moments that he had spent with the hunter the night before, remembering clearly the few drops of blood they had shared between them.

_No…_

_This can't happen…this shouldn't have happened…_

But it would explain his sudden attraction to the hunter, and why Zero was dreaming some of his worst memories.

_I've…I've blood bonded with a Kiriyu…_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you! Your reviews made it so that I couldn't wait to write the next chapter, and here it is! :3 I wrote it even sooner than I had planned, and stayed up until 2 in the morning finishing it. *grins like a maniac***

**Okay, so sorry for leaving you with that cliffhanger :3 Okay, not really, but I made up for it with this chapter~ :D Oh, I'm so hyper right now you have no idea…**

**Anyway, finally broadening the setting from Kaname's room to Kaname's throne room if you will. *smirk* Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll update just as soon as I get the inspiration for the next chapter. :3**

**OH WAIT DISCLAIMER!**

**I do not own Vampire Knight or any characters associated thereof. But I do own the idea for this story, as twisted and messed up as it is~**

**Now onto the show!**

_Plink_

…

_Plink_

…

_Plink_

…

"I –"

_Plink_

"am – "

_Plink_

"so –"

_Plink_

"fucking –"

_PLINK_

"_**bored**_"

_CRASH_

Zero let out a frustrated sigh and fell back onto the bed, glaring petulantly at the ceiling. The small dish full of decorative stones that Kaname had had on his bedside table was now empty of its contents, courtesy of an extremely bored-as-shit hunter. He found that throwing little rocks at the closed door across the room did absolutely nothing to relieve his boredom. In fact, now that he was out of ammunition and had 'accidentally' broken an expensive looking vase with his last throw, he was even more listless than before.

The hunter groaned and ran a hand through his silver hair. It had been a week. A fucking _week_. And he had seen neither head nor tail of the stuck up pureblood. If he didn't know better, he would say that the vampire was avoiding him.

Good thing he knew better.

Zero leaped from the bed, pacing the length of the now-familiar room. The only break in the monotonous week he had had was the 2 second interval every day that one of the lower class vampires brought him food. After that, everything went back to the boring norm. He couldn't leave this room, and not having a change of scenery in a week was driving him stir crazy.

Not that he hadn't _tried _to leave. What kind of hunter would he be if he hadn't? But he was still recovering from the first time he tried to escape, and wasn't too keen on trying again.

As soon as Kaname had left on the morni – night of his disturbing dream, Zero had tried to make a break for it. He had practically run for the door, and yanked at the door handle with all his strength.

Two things happened. One, the door didn't move an inch, much to the hunter's dismay. Two, the shackles that had seemingly disappeared the night before now _re_appeared, leaping from the bed and attaching themselves to Zero's ankles and wrists as if they had a life of their own. The hunter was pulled back to the bed violently by the strings of metal, and hadn't been let up until hours later, when the shackles finally receded to wherever they went when they weren't attached to him.

_Leave it to that stinking pureblood to have magic shackles attached to his bed. What the fuck is wrong with this guy? _

At least there was a bathroom attached to the room. The hunter was extremely grateful for that.

With a silent growl, Zero fell on the bed again, this time landing on his stomach among the completely rumpled sheets. He began to play idly with the wrinkles in the fabric, before faceplanting into said sheets and screaming silently. His voice still hadn't healed, a detail that the hunter was not fond of.

He was distracted momentarily by the sound of the bedroom door opening, a sound he had been waiting to hear all day. He figured that whoever it was would just leave his food like they always did and leave him in his solitude again, but after a few seconds, he could still feel the vampiric presence behind him.

Zero glanced over his shoulder at the red-headed vampire, who had his arms crossed over his chest and was glaring at him with undisguised disgust.

"Glad to see you're making yourself at home, Kiriyu. Enjoying your stay?"

_Why does everyone keep asking me that? NO, I'm NOT enjoying my stay, idiots. _

He couldn't voice this thought aloud, but Zero was pretty sure the red head got the message. He huffed impatiently and strode importantly over to where the hunter lay sprawled across the bed, watching his advance with wary eyes.

The vampire paused at Zero's side, quite obviously forcing himself NOT to kill the hunter right then and there. Zero smirked at the vampire's restraint, wondering why he didn't just attack him already and get it over with. It would be a single interesting point in the entire week he had spent in this room.

To his extreme surprise, the red head bowed stiffly to him before speaking.

"Kaname-sama would like to speak with you. Please follow me."

The vampire turned swiftly and stalked out of the room, his barely contained rage at having to be so polite to a Kiriyu shining darkly in his eyes. Zero silently stood and followed him out of the room, turning and sticking his tongue out at the bed in a childish manner, before running down the hall to catch up with his unwilling guide.

_So where am I headed next?_

Kaname absentmindedly swirled his finger around the rim of his wineglass, staring moodily at his reflection in the smooth red liquid it contained. He had avoided the hunter all week, and all he had to show for it was an absolutely disgusting mood. He sighed sharply, his gaze flickering to the entrance to the main hall, where Kain should be walking through with Zero any second now.

This really was a bad idea. The rest of the people in the room apparently thought so too, as there wasn't a single sound uttered to fill up the large room. All Kaname heard was the stony silence of his group of noble followers, and he could practically feel their glares on his face.

No, this was not the best idea he had ever come up with.

But it was necessary.

The door to the main hall creaked open quietly, and Kain strode in angrily, his flaming hair accentuating his raging emotions as he bowed stiffly to Kaname before going to stand silently in his place next to Ruka.

A second after the red headed vampire's entrance, Zero cautiously poked his head through the door. He swept his gaze around the silent room before noticing Kaname's gestures to come in. The hunter stepped hesitantly into the room, and jumped about a mile when the heavy doors slammed shut behind him. He twirled around to glare at the large slabs of wood, and could hear the harsh snickers of the nobles in the room.

Straightening his back, Zero turned around again and walked over to where Kaname was seated, standing defiantly in front of him, not caring to show any form of respect to the pureblood.

The nobles hissed in anger, but Kaname held up a hand to stop them from taking any action.

"We can't expect him to show me respect. After all, we are his enemies."

Zero raised an eyebrow, silently agreeing to that statement, surprised that the pureblood was that understanding about it. He had assumed that Kaname would throw a fit, like the little spoiled brat he had heard that he was.

Apparently the rest of the court was as surprised as he was, for a fair amount of whispering started up at Kaname's comment.

The pureblood ignored his nobles and stood from his chair, walking toward Zero with his hands slightly raised in front of him, the universal sign for peace.

"I didn't call you here to harm you, Zero. Be at peace."

The hunter gave Kaname a disbelieving look before crossing his arms and shifting his weight onto his back leg. He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for the pureblood to make the connection.

He was smarter than he looked. Kaname snapped his fingers almost instantly, and turned toward the bored looking vampire standing to his left. "Shiki, would you go get some paper and a pen? Our guest cannot speak at the moment."

"Well, thank Kami for small miracles." The vampire quipped, quickly darting out of the room after smirking defiantly at the hunter, whose glare seemed to darken the room.

Kaname chuckled, not noticing the surprise of the nobles behind him at the sound. Zero did, however, and he raised his eyebrow again as he stored the information that apparently chuckling wasn't something the pureblood did often.

Shiki was, for lack of a better term, back in a flash with multiple pieces of square paper and a heavy, ornate pen. Zero rolled his eyes at the grandeur of it all. Nothing like an expensive looking pen to brighten your day. Stupid vampires.

Zero lazily took the items from the vampire, whose bored expression didn't change in the least as he winked coyly at the hunter before returning to his place among the nobles. Zero's eyebrow rose again, apparently getting a lot of exercise today.

"Well, now that our guest can speak in some form of the word…" Kaname said, a small smirk playing over his lips. His expression immediately sobered, however, and when he spoke again his voice was grave.

"Zero, I called you here to, above everything, apologize. I've done something to you that I regret deeply."

Zero remained silent, urging the vampire prince to continue. Kaname sighed and ran his hand through his chocolate locks.

"Well…you see…it's just…" Zero and every vampire in the room remained in shocked silence…although Zero didn't really have a choice. Seeing Kaname, _Kaname, _at a loss for words meant that some serious shit was about to happen.

The pureblood took a deep breath before starting again.

"Zero, I want you to know that this was completely unintentional. Trust me, I did NOT want for this to happen, especially not with you." Zero rolled his eyes, gesturing for Kaname to get on with it. Kaname took another breath and continued, his words rushing together in a super long sentence.

"I believe I may have accidentally formed a blood bond with you, and I also think that perhaps I may have changed you into a vampire because not only did I bite you but I also drew blood and drank a few drops from you, and although that shouldn't be enough to form a blood bond I believe it did, and that would explain why you were dreaming my memories and why I'm becoming so addicted to your presence."

The silence that filled the room was so loud that the pureblood almost covered his ears like a child. All eyes were on Zero as the hunter slowly wrote something on one of his sheets of paper, taking care to write out whatever it was with extreme clarity.

He turned the card around so that Kaname could see what he had written, his eyes suddenly flaring to life from the cold, distant orbs they had become.

"_**WHAT?**_"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: OHMYGOD I'm so sorry, I haven't updated in F.O.R.E.V.E.R.! I've been simply swamped with homework, and I'm in the play at my school, so I have all my lines to memorize (we have to be off-book on Sunday for the stumble through….SAVE ME!) But I haven't had a single second to sit down and write.**

**But I did it! I wrote this chapter! **

**So extremely sorry if this makes….absolutely no sense. But I figured something is better than nothing, even if its…the fastest chapter I've ever written. I know nothing really happened here…but something IS going to happen soon, I promise! **

**Anywho….**

**Enjoy~!**

**P.S: Don't kill me about Aidou~! xD I couldn't help it.**

**OH!**

**I do not own Vampire Knight. At all. Okay, glad we got that cleared up. **

**Warning: Language, Kaname x Zero and maybe Aidou x Yuuki. :3 You'll just have to wait and see.**

**P.P.S: I realize I've been spelling Zero's last name wrong…it's supposed to by Kiryuu…but…but…I've already written this many chapters writing it the wrong way, so I'm just gonna stick with it. I'll get it right next time!**

**OKAY I am really shutting up now.**

**See you next chapter~!**

The halls of the Hunter Academy were silent at this time of night, with the moon streaming in through the arched windows and every idle Hunter in bed asleep. This fact didn't stop the lone individual from wandering the halls at night, the only time he felt somewhat at home in this hostile place.

Eyes glowing a dim scarlet, the blond figure quietly walked over into a spacious courtyard, his safe haven for the past week, and went to stand at the edge of the ornate fountain located in the center. The sound of splashing water had been his lullaby, his calming noise, after the rage at being tricked had finally died down.

"Why…?" The vampire choked out, his eyes staring angrily back at him from his reflection in the water. A single drop of red fell from the corner of his right eye, and he quickly swiped it away.

"Why, Kaname-sama? Why did you do this to me?"

He gripped the rim of the fountain in rage, the force of his hold cracking the stone. Ice began to form around the edges of the water, creeping slowly toward the center of the fountain, where a lone statue of a young girl stood, water pouring from the cup in her hands in an endless stream. The trickle of water crackled once, and formed into deadly spikes of ice, each one pointing accusingly at the blond vampire.

"Aidou-sama…"

The small, girlish voice sounded from behind him, but the vampire didn't even bother to turn around. He continued to stare moodily into the ice, concentrating on ignoring the intruder…and failing completely as he felt the girl walk up behind him.

"Aidou-sama…" Her voice was softer, almost a whisper, and gentle. Aidou shuddered, the warmth in her tone washing over him in waves, causing his knees to weaken, and he sat heavily on the edge of the fountain.

The girl walked forward and sat down right next to him. The fact that she was unafraid to be near him struck Aidou as very odd, but at the moment he wasn't thinking about that. He fought against sobs that threatened to escape his lips.

_I will not cry…not over Kaname-sama, and not in front of this hunter…_

And yet, when the girl's arms settled around his shoulders in a hug, Aidou broke. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, sobbing quietly into the warmth. The simple hug seemed to seep into his bones, melting the ice that he had put up around his feelings and having it just come crashing down. He was a usually very distant person, seemingly uncaring about anything and everything. It was all just a façade, and somehow…

Somehow, this hunter girl had managed to get to the very center of his subterfuge, and just tear it down in one simple act.

What was this girl?

Aidou hadn't even noticed the scent of her blood, but now that he was calming down and sinking once again into thought, he could practically feel the sweet smell traveling to his senses. He pushed her away suddenly, getting to his feet and striding away, needed to escape from the scent before…

"Aidou-sama!"

He froze.

She was right behind him. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, turn him around gently, and holding both of his forearms as she looked him in the eyes. The vampire winced at the burning determination he saw there. This girl was going to talk to him, no matter what happened to her.

_Stupid girl…_

The girl spoke, cutting off any other thoughts.

"Aidou-sama, what's wrong? I mean, I know what's wrong…you were tricked into coming here…even I would be mad. I'm even mad that they sent Zero away, he was my best friend here. But you need to stop moping. You've been here a week and haven't spoken a word. It's annoying. So knock it off!"

Aidou blinked, stunned out of his mind. This little waif of a child was telling him what to do? However, instead of feeling indignant, he felt his face breaking out in a smile. The smile grew, and he couldn't stop the small chuckle from escaping his lips.

The girl looked surprised, but soon her own face broke into a grin.

"See? It's not that hard to laugh and be happy…for once."

She let go of his hands and skipped back to the entrance inside, humming a little tune. Aidou jerked forward to stop her, but jerked back just as quickly when another wave of her scent hit him. He could feel the bloodlust starting to take over, and he knew he should run, run away, get away from this strange, strange girl. If it were any other hunter he would attack without fear, but something about _her_…something stopped him.

_I should go before I do something I regret_

But he had to know…

"Wait!"

She turned.

"What's your name, hunter?"

She smiled, and Aidou was stunned into silence once again. Her maroon colored eyes were shining in triumph that she had finally gotten him to speak. Aidou watched avidly as her mouth formed the words that answered his question. It wasn't until she was already gone that he actually comprehended what she had said.

"My name is Yuuki."

The room crackled with tension, the weight of it almost suffocating. Kaname kept eye contact with the absolutely livid hunter in front of him, trying in vain to calm the other male. However, whatever he was doing, it wasn't working on Zero. Kaname could practically see the rage that was dripping from every point of the hunter's being, and he averted his gaze from those lilac eyes like that burned with such hate. Instead he looked around the room, at the ornate chandeliers that hung the ceiling to the also ornate rugs that adorned the floor.

_I really need to think about redecorating…_

He was thrown against the back of his chair, a very strong hand around his throat and two very, very piercing lilac eyes suddenly staring him right in the face. Kaname winced as his air supply was cut off, his vision going slightly blurry as he concentrated on the boy in front of him.

_I could throw him off me…but hurting him now would not be the smartest move. If I provoke him, he'll kill me. I don't doubt it. _

So instead of putting up a fight, as much as it killed him to do so, Kaname let himself go limp. He relaxed every muscle, denying every instinct to use his pureblood abilities to simply send the hunter flying across the room. It would be amusing, and not even uncalled for, but would work against Kaname's master plan in the long run.

So he took the abuse silently as the hand gripping his throat grew tighter and tighter. The blurriness had changed into blackness, and it was quickly covering his vision like a dark blanket. He made desperate eye contact with the hunter, trying to convey every apology he could muster into once glance.

_I didn't want this either._

He slumped forward. The hand was gone, its only memory the red strangle marks around the pureblood's neck. Kaname fell, gasping for breath as he scrambled to gather his thoughts.

_I thought he would keep going. I assumed he would just keep going until I was knocked out. _

…_Why did I let him do that? Why didn't I stop him? I just let him destroy me like that._

He heard the hurriedly scribbling of a pen on paper, and the slam of a door almost immediately after. Kaname looked up to see a single slip of paper in front of him, and the large room minus one hunter.

Kaname stood slowly, walking over to where the paper lay with a measured pace. He bent to pick it up, flipping it over and reading the words written there in silence.

They were hastily written, and nearly illegible.

_Fuck this. I'm going home._

Kaname looked up with a glint in his eyes.

"Oh, I'd like to see you try."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: KYAH! I DID IT!**

**Betcha thought I had forgotten about you! But fear not, I have returned with the next chapter of the story :3 And its long, too~**

**And I can't BELIEVE I forgot last time, but thank you SO MUCH for all the stunning reviews! I love you all so much~! *hugs all***

**Anyway, on a random note, I hope you like the torches bit in this chapter. I spent all of five minutes coming up with that idea. :D Yeah ima bit hyper~ **

**Oh, and it's national Novel Writing Month~! (NaNoWriMo) so I apologize if I don't post for a while…I'm going to try and do it. But hopefully I will have time to work on this story as well!**

***_* The play I'm in opens on Wednesday…. *hides* Five shows of absolute nerve wracking time on stage. So not going to update during that time. :P**

**Disclaimer: I obviously do NOT own Vampire Knight. If I did, Zero and Kaname would have confessed undying love for one another in the first episode. Although, watching it, you could almost write off Zero's behavior as reluctant to admit he's Kaname's lover… *evil grin of absolute evilness***

**Okay I've rambled enough. Enjoy!**

The interior of the Kuran castle was well lit, with numerous torches lining the walls. The carpeted hallways were illuminated with multi-colored light, because the torches, which had been lit in one of Kaname's lighter moods, changed color with the pureblood's mood. All of the residents of the castle knew which color meant which mood; for example, when the flames burned crimson, everyone knew to stay far, far away from the solitary room in the west tower.

The hunter who made his way hurriedly through the hallways, however, did not know the code of colors. So the vibrant purple flames that brightened his way meant nothing to him. In fact, he didn't even take notice of the strange colored torches, rather than to raise the question of why the hell vampires even needed torches anyway.

He knew he had to escape as quickly as possible. However, one rule that Yagari had pounded into his head kept overthrowing the need to run.

_Zero! For the final time. Don't drop your weapon!_

_The pre-teen glared disbelievingly at his teacher, rubbing his right hand to lessen the pain of the injury he had just received. Yagari had smacked his gun hand with one of his goddamned metal sparring staves, surely leaving a bruise on his student's hand. In response, Zero had dropped his gun. _

"_Yagari-sensei! You can't expect me to hold onto a weapon after you whacked me on the hand. It's impossible to do!"_

_WHACK_

_Zero yelped and fell backwards, his good hand leaving his previous injury to tend to the new one Yagari had bestowed on his head. _

"_I never want to hear that excuse again. You're a hunter. You're also a direct descendant of the Kiriyu line. Nothing is 'impossible', not for you. Your duty is uphold your family honor, whether it be to kill purebloods or form a treaty with them, as unlikely as that may seem. And to do that, you must always control three things; your mind, your actions, and your gun. You can't do much against a pureblood vampire without a weapon. Even if you have your mind and actions under control, if you don't have your gun on you, you're as good as dead. Or food. It depends on the pureblood."_

Zero quickly opened and closed all of the numerous doors that lined the hallway he was currently in. He scanned each room for a few seconds before moving on to the next one.

_I have to find my gun. Yagari will kill me if I return without it. _

The vampire looked cautiously out of the darkened doorway, before reaching a gloved hand out to quickly grab the silver anti-vampire weapon from its resting place. If Kaname found out…

But Kaname wouldn't find out. After all, this was all to make the game more interesting.

With a steadying breath, the vampire threw the weapon out into the hallway.

The gun twisted a few times in the air, casting purple reflections on the walls as the torchlight bounced off of its silver shine.

Just before the gun came to rest on the ground, the vampire saw a pair of lilac eyes staring out of the polished metal. The vampire shuddered violently and disappeared silently into the depths of the castle.

A muffled clank sounded behind him, and Zero whipped around to find the source of the noise. He stared in disbelief at the gleaming silver weapon lying silently on the ground, his own wide lilac eyes reflecting out of the metal. He blinked comically before slinking cautiously over to the gun and picking it up. The instant the familiar metal touched his hand, he lost all doubt that it was his gun. He allowed his finger to settle over the trigger, the gun hanging loosely at his side.

A small smirk appeared on the hunter's lips as he made his way to the nearest exit.

_Let the games begin, Kuran. _

Kaname shifted slightly, causing every vampire in the room to snap to attention. Those who hadn't left already were still awaiting orders from the pureblood, and hadn't dared leave the room in fear of upsetting Kaname's grand plan for Zero. Ruka was the first to respond to Kaname's movement.

"Kaname-sama? Are you ready to make your move?"

Directly after she finished speaking, the door to the room opened silently, and Shiki slinked in quietly. He bowed deeply to Kaname before boredly stating that Zero had finally managed to make it outside.

The pureblood smirked evilly, the lit torch next to him turning a violent shade of violet. Ruka's eyes widened at Kaname's apparently dangerously playful mood, but Shiki merely shook his head, a smale smile gracing his usually bored expression.

Kaname stood and began to walk out of the room.

"Yes, Ruka. I believe it is high time for my dear opponent to experience a devastating check-mate."

Zero tread carefully around the Kuran's massive courtyard. He had taken the wrong exit out of the mansion, and ended up behind the house, rather at the main road. He had heard notorious stories about this courtyard; there was a way out, but you had to find your way through an extremely complicated maze of hedges that Kaname had conveniently decided he needed to have in his backyard. Zero rolled his eyes at the pureblood's obvious 'so you think you can escape me' attitude.

_Hell yeah I think I can escape you, you good for nothing vampire. I bet you don't even know your way around the maze._

Zero had stopped at the entrance of said maze. The hedges making up the walls were composed of deadly looking thorns and dark red leaves, and more than 15 feet high. The starless night sky and the absence of a moon made the entire construction seem that much spookier, and Zero had to steel his nerves before beginning his trek through the maze.

_Straight. Okay, that was pretty simple, no intersections yet. Just a curvy path. Maybe there's just one path through….shit, never mind._

His first intersection. Without the stars to help as a compass, Zero had no idea which way to choose.

_Maybe this is gonna be harder than I thought…_

Picking at random, Zero immediately began walking to the left.

_If I continue to choose left….I'm bound to find some way out…right? At least then I won't get lost, the way to get back would be just to always go right._

Zero was reassured by his plan, and quickened his pace. He didn't even notice the slight tugging on his hair as he passed one of the more thorny bushes

_Left. Left. Left. Left. Le – what the hell?_

He had just started to turn left again when a glint of silver caught his eye. He reached over carefully into the bush and snatched the gleaming stands of silk. Upon further inspection, Zero realized in dismay that they were stands of his hair.

_SHIT. I've gone in a circle. _

Okay, so left was out. Zero turned on his heel and went back the way he came, planning to go right at every intersection. It only took him two steps to realize the error in that strategy.

_If I backtrack and go right at every turn…I'll be doing the same thing as going left…_

Zero sat heavily on the ground, his mind running a mile a minute to figure out a way out of this maze.

Zero didn't have to think long before a solution exposed itself. He leapt to his feet as he heard footsteps falling faintly behind him. He ran to hide himself around a corner, and peeked out suspiciously at the maker of the noise. His eyes widened as he saw Kaname walking calmly past him, a few yards away, humming quietly to himself. Zero raised an eyebrow as he recognized the song as Ring Around the Rosy.

_Is he insane? That's a children's rhyme. _

However, regardless of the mental state of the vampire, he walked like he knew exactly where he was going. Zero gave the pureblood a few more seconds to put ample distance between them before trailing the vampire, treading on the hard earth silently, using all of his hunter training to not make a sound.

He followed Kaname and his childish humming, and after a while, he couldn't help put sing along in his head.

_Ring around the rosy…_

Kaname turned left sharply, a slight smile on his face. Zero did the same.

_A pocket full of posy…_

Another left.

_Ashes…_

Right.

_Ashes…_

Left. Zero stopped in confusion as he stumbled into a small courtyard, complete with small fountain in the center. Delicate stone benches rested along the sides, and the ground was littered with rose petals from the blossoms hanging from the bushes.

_The bushes are rose bushes…_

A push from behind sent him sprawling, and before he could retaliate, Zero found himself pressed into the ground by another warm body.

He felt warm breath tickle his ear as his captor whispered quietly;

"We all fall down."

_Shit. It's him._

He was rolled over onto his back, so that he was staring defiantly into Kaname's eyes. The pureblood grinned, showing his fangs in a animalistic grin. His eye flared crimson, and he leaned down so that his face was inches from Zero's.

"Now, what exactly were you trying to do, Zero? You can't escape here…you were sold to me for peace between our people…weren't you told?"

Zero glared at the vampire, his eyes speaking a huge 'AS IF' to Kaname. Kaname chuckled darkly and leaned in closer.

"It's true…Yagari sent me a letter explaining the plan. He would send you to me, and I would send one of my nobles to your academy to live. In exchange, there would be peace between our people. You're stuck here with me forever, Zero…"

Kaname held Zero's hands above his head with one hand, using his free hand to trail a finger down Zero's face.

"In addition to that, you're bonded to me. Without my blood, you will sink to a Level E. A monster, a beast without feelings or emotions. Both your kind and mine hunt Es. You would have nowhere to run…"

His finger trailed down Zero's cheek to his neck, tracing the tattoo the hunter had there. Zero shivered.

"It's a pity your voice still hasn't healed. I'll miss hearing the pretty sounds you make over the next few hours…"

Zero's eyes narrowed dangerously as Kaname's smirk grew into a flat out evil grin. Back in the castle, the torch's flames turned from violet to a deep, deep crimson.

The vampire closed the small space between his lips and the hunter's, earning himself a violent jerk from his captive. Kaname smiled into the kiss, scraping his fangs along Zero's lip and angling his head in order to deepen it. Zero struggled against the pureblood, working his throat to make silent screams of protest. He wrestled his hands free of Kaname's grip and quickly reversed their positions, breaking the lip lock in the process.

Kaname yelped in shock when his head smacked against the ground, making him see stars. He felt Zero's hands fasten around his throat, slowly squeezing the breath out of his lungs. Zero's grip was fastened around his jugular, and his could feel his blood pounding through his veins.

Zero felt the pureblood shudder beneath him, and scowled in disgust. The vampire was enjoying this. He tightened his grip on Kaname's throat, intending to suffocate the vampire that had turned him.

_Ba-thump_

Zero gasped, an insane pleasure resonating from his hands up his arms, and all down his body.

_Ba-thump_

Again, from his hands, and traveling throughout his senses. He doubled over, gripping Kaname's throat harder, longing to feel more of the incredible sensation.

_Ba-thump_

Without thinking, Zero removed his hands a replaced them with his lips, feeling the beautiful pulse through them, allowing the sensation to travel through his aching teeth…

Zero moaned, securing his arms around Kaname's shoulders and lifting him up, grasping him close and nuzzling his neck. Kaname shuddered violently, a small gasp of pleasure escaping his lips. He wanted nothing more than to feel Zero's teeth at his throat, wanted nothing more than to be at the receiving end of this newborn's bloodlust.

Without warning, Zero sank his fangs into the pureblood's neck, taking large gulps of the delicious blood. He held Kaname tighter, ensuring that he wouldn't get away. Kaname had no intention of going anywhere. He grasped Zero's shoulders and trembled in pleasure, hanging on to the hunter for control.

He was feeling dizzy. _He's taking too much…_

Kaname nuzzled his face in the crook of Zero's neck, whispering an apology before sinking his own fangs into the hunter. Zero gasped and tightened his hold on Kaname even more, pulling the pureblood flush up against his body, basking in the warmth of the pureblood's pulse. Zero retracted his fangs, too far gone in pleasure to focus anymore. He began to be overcome with dizziness, and after a few more seconds, fainted in Kaname's arms.

The pureblood pulled away silently, a trickle of crimson falling from the corner of his mouth. He stared at the hunter in his arms before leaning down into a quick, bloody kiss. He licked at the remaining blood around his bond's lips before standing and walking slowly out of the maze, carrying the fainted hunter securely in his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Why, hello everybody! It feels like it's been forever….**

**So apology in advance – sorry it's so short :( I'm just dead tired right now, and this is the first time I've had to sit down and write. :P More next time though…and maybe…MAYBE even some yaoi goodness…it's about time, no? xP**

**Thank you sooooo much for all the reviews! They are food to my soul, and my soul likes to get food :3 Tee hee~ (wow, hyper much?)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, yada yada yada…..**

**Oh, and the bit of Japanese in there means "Yes, my love" …I think….**

**Anyway, enjoy~! More to come….. :3**

~One Month Later~

"The HELL I'm wearing that! Are you insane?"

"Maybe. Depends on the day. Today I think I'm sane though, no one else has said anything."

"Oh, shut it, Kaname. Stop distracting me. The problem at hand is there is NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL I'M WEARING THAT!"

The pureblood vampire sighed, and silently turned around to hang the floor length lilac dress back in his massive closet. He allowed a pout to tremble on his lips, and gazed up at his silver haired companion with a pleading look.

"Please, Zero? Just this once?"

All he got from the hunter for his efforts was an intense glare.

"Kaname, as much as I love it when you beg, I've already told you numerous times: Hell will freeze before I wear that … that _thing._ And stop with the puppy eyes, it's kinda starting to creep me out."

Kaname let out a huge sigh and went back to rummaging around in his closet. Zero leaned against the doorframe, watching the vampire through slitted eyes. He allowed his gaze to travel up and down Kaname's back, taking extra care over his neck, shoulders, and waist, barely caring if the pureblood looked up now to catch him at his game. He enjoyed staring too much.

_Shit, I've finally lost it. I can't even stop looking at him now._

But, despite his mental protest, Zero had somehow fallen for the stuck up royal pain in front of him. He wasn't sure exactly when it happened – all he remembered clearly was the maze that Kaname keeps as a plant pet in the backyard – which he still refuses to go near, even now – and bloodlust. The week before and after that event were all very blurry, as if they hadn't happen for real, and were just a dream. When he woke a week after that night in the maze, he felt an undeniable pull toward the vampire sitting rigid as a board at the side of his bed, staring intensely at the silver haired teen. As soon as Zero stirred and opened his eyes, Kaname was sitting practically on top of him, helping him sit up like he was a long lost friend. At first the action confused Zero, but the attraction to the vampire overtook all his senses, and he forgot why he should protest in an instant. The first thing he did when he was able to move by himself was wrap his arms around Kaname's shoulders and bury his face in the crook of his neck. Kaname hesitated for a fraction of a second, but then returned the hug.

It had taken Kain, Shiki, and Kaname all together to get Zero off of the pureblood and back to sleep on the bed to rest. It had been an interesting half an hour of battling, and Zero was certain he would win. Again, he had had a flash of wonder at how he was so comfortable with the vampires, but as soon as he got another whiff of Kaname's scent all strangeness evaporated. The 'fight' ended in all four vampires laughing their asses off and Zero falling into a contented sleep.

Zero's Bloody Rose had been conveniently lost in the maze along with the rest of his memories.

"Enjoying the view, my dear?"

Zero was jolted back to the present at the sound of Kaname's voice, and looked his friend in the eye, ignoring the slight blush forming on his face.

"Of course not, you're not much to look at. Why would I waste my time on you?" Zero quipped in challenge, turning his back on the vampire and walking over to the window. He leaned his head against the glass, watching Kaname sneak up on him from behind with a small grin on his face.

He blinked just before the pureblood reached him, so he jumped a little when he felt Kaname's arms snake around his waist. "Kana – " He caught the vampire's blood red gaze in his reflection in the window pane, and his words froze in his throat. He felt Kaname's breath tickle the skin just behind his ear as the pureblood whispered. "_Hai, aitoshii?" _

Zero shivered violently, turning in Kaname's embrace to kiss the pureblood full on the mouth. He could feel the vampire smiling as his hands tightened their grip on Zero's waist, pulling him as close as was rationally possible. Of course, Kaname never was one for rationality, and pulled his silver haired prize even closer as he deepened their kiss. He tilted Zero's chin back slightly, allowing him to quickly slip his tongue into the hunter's mouth. Zero moaned softly and fisted his hands in Kaname's hair, allowing himself to melt silently into the pureblood's embrace. _His pureblood. His Kaname. _

As if he had heard Zero's thoughts, Kaname seemed to grin even more into the kiss, then pulled back quickly to smirk at the silverette. Zero had a shocked look plastered on his face, which Kaname thought was absolutely adorable. However, the hunter recovered himself quickly, replacing the shocked look with a glare as he stepped back and crossed his arms.

"What was that for?"

Kaname grinned evilly and returned to the closet without a word. He searched quietly for a minute, then beckoned Zero to come over with a casual twitch of his finger. Zero rolled his eyes but shuffled over to where the pureblood was no standing with his hands between his back, and maniac grin on his face.

_He's up to something…_

As soon as Zero was close enough to touch, Kaname whipped the garment he was hiding behind his back to the front, grabbing Zero's wrist in the same motion. The hunter took one look at the lilac dress and started screaming and kicking like a five year old throwing a tantrum.

"Kaname, I said_** NO**_!"

Downstairs, Shiki and Kain simply exchanged a knowing look before going back to their respective activities, trying their best to ignore the yelling that could be heard all the way on the other side of the castle.

After about an hour, Kaname walked slowly down the large stairwell that dominated half of the front hall. He had his trademark smirk on his face, and at his side…

Was a fuming Zero bedecked in lilac glory.

_I swear, I will kill him as soon as this goddamned party is over. I hope he enjoys pain, cause he's gonna see so much of it he won't remember what it feels like to laugh. I swear, I'm gonna kill him. I'll murder him. No, I'll jump him. That's what I'll do. I'll…_

His plotting was cut short as Zero passed by a mirror for the first time, and stopped in his tracks to do a double take.

The beauty staring back at him couldn't be him…it just wasn't possible. The girl in the mirror had her hair cut stylishly short, just below her ears. He large lilac eyes matched the color of the dress perfectly, leading Zero to wonder if it had been made exactly for this reason. The dress's sleeves were long and flowing, and the chest was adorned with large violet flowers, casually masking the girl's non-existent cleavage. The girl had three silver earrings in one ear, with one new earring dangling from the other – a deep purple crystal, surrounded by a glimmer of silver at the edges. Her shoes were a pair of simple off white ballet flats.

Zero blinked, as if that would make the girl in the mirror disappear, and replace her with what he knew he felt like – a guy wearing a dress. But the beautiful girl was still there, staring at him in surprise, as if surprised that her blinking didn't work either.

He heard a faint chuckle beside him and looked over to glare at Kaname, who was smiling innocently.

"See, I told you you would look cute. You didn't believe me, did you?"

Zero stuck his tongue out at Kaname and turned as he heard the front doors open.

Kaname looked up with him.

"Ah, looks like the guests are here."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, I finished the chapter – and I must say I actually like how it turned out. I finally have the plot down, so I can say that it's going to be about 5, maybe 6 more chapters before the fic is over. (Noooooes….. :'( )**

**Actually had to do research for this chapter, so I could write Ichiou properly. (If anyone was wondering, he makes his first appearance in episode 8 of the first season xP), so I used it as an excuse to watch the anime again xD**

**This chapter is rated M for violence. No yaoi, I know I promised but it didn't fit the story. There is implied yaoi though…they've been together for a month by now. ;)**

**Thank you so much for the reviews! They really mean a lot to me. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight in any way, shape, or form. Although I wish I did~**

**Enjoy the chapter~!**

"Ah, looks like the guests are here."

Zero looked up, still stunned by the fact he looked so much like a woman he could barely recognize himself. He swallowed nervously as he watched the massive wooden doors swing inwards, and a crowd of people began to file in the room. Within the passing of a few minutes, the hall was bustling with conversation and laughter. Zero balked when he realized that every single person in the room was a vampire. The people who passed by the place they were standing paused to bow deeply to Kaname, and gave a querying look to Zero before moving on.

Zero tugged on Kaname's sleeve surreptitiously and hissed in his ear. "Remind me again why I have to dress like this? Besides fulfilling your little fantasies."

Kaname smirked at the hunter's lilac glare, but answered quietly back. "I was told by some of the vampire senate that I was to have made my decision for wife, and display her at my next big party. The Senate is the most powerful group in our society – being a pureblood, I am bound to follow their orders. However, since I have no interest in taking a wife, you were dressed up beautifully as a girl, to stand in as my chosen one. I must say you play the part very nicely."

Zero 'hmph'ed and turned his head away from the grinning pureblood, refusing to blush at the comment. However, after a second he turned his head back as a thought struck him.

"Wait, that means that those 'higher-ups' will be at the party, doesn't it?"

Kaname gazed out over the crowd, searching intently for the familiar faces of the rest of the vampire royalty, and whispered to Zero out of the corner of his mouth. "Yes, that's exactly what it means."

Zero hissed, his lilac eyes flashing in dismay. Another thought struck his mind, and he blurted it out without thinking. "Will there be hunters here to observe the party? There should be, especially if the vampire senate is going to be here." Zero's brow furrowed in confusion. Why should he care if there were going to be hunters here? Why did his heart leap at the thought of seeing them? Zero shook his head violently and looked to Kaname for an answer. The pureblood pursed his lips and answered quietly; "Yes. They should be here any minute."

Zero was about to speak again, but he saw Kaname's gaze flicker to one area of the hall and focus there. His body stiffened into a statue, and Zero saw that a group of three vampires were coming towards them. He shivered as he realized these were the vampires of the Senate – Kaname's higher-ups.

The leading vampire was obviously the most powerful, his blonde hair falling slightly over his eyes in a mysterious fashion, and his beard trimmed to a cutting edge. His eyes were steely grey in color, and he walked with a cold, calculating air. Anyone he passed stopped their conversation immediately to watch him walk by, nervously eyes their companions before talking once again. The two vampires following the man seemed to by bodyguards, as their features were quite unremarkable, and their expression never changed in the slightest.

The small group stopped a few feet in front of where Kaname stood and bowed respectfully. Kaname bowed back, while his right hand settled onto Zero's back and guided him through a curtsey. Zero forced his face to appear calm and stoic to mask the anxiety racing through his veins. What if this didn't work?

The blonde was the first to speak after everyone had straightened from their bows.

"Kaname, a pleasure to see you well and healthy. This is a truly splendid party you have thrown. You've had quite a turnout." The vampire's tone was light and airy, but his eyes remained steely and cold, watching Kaname for any kind of anxious reaction. However, Kaname simply bowed again, acknowledging the false praise with a small smile. "I try my best, Ichiou. I am sincerely glad that you could attend tonight."

Ichiou nodded, acknowledging the sentiment. He paused slightly before launching into his next strain of conversation. "Now, Kaname, I must admit I had an ulterior motive to coming here tonight. Have you taken my suggestion for you to take a wife into consideration? I had hoped I would be able to meet your future wife at tonight's party."

_Those eyes…does this man have any feelings at all? _ Zero thought bewilderedly. Ichiou's expression still hadn't changed from blank neutrality, and it was starting to get on Zero's nerves. The man should at least show a smile, a smirk, a grimace, anything to show he was a living, breathing person. But this man had nothing. It was like talking to a statue.

Zero started when Kaname gently took his hand and brought him forward a little, presenting him to Ichiou. Zero started to meet the man's gaze head on, before he realized he was supposed to be a woman and lowered his gaze to the floor. He stumbled through another curtsey as Kaname introduced him.

"Ichiou, if I may? This is Cero, my companion and fiancée. I asked her for her hand, as you suggested I do. I hope you approve." Zero curtsied yet again, thanking Kaname for making the minor change to his name. The name "Cero" sounded more feminine than "Zero", but it was a subtle enough change that a causal slip of the tongue wouldn't be noticeable. Zero cleared his throat silently when he realized Kaname was waiting for him to say something, and pitched his voice as high as it could go.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord." He said softly, eyes averted to the ground as he waited anxiously for Ichiou to call his bluff. He sounded nothing like a girl! It was only a matter of seconds now…

Ichiou moved closer, and Zero readied himself for the reprimand that was sure to come. He started a little when Ichiou took his free hand and brought it briefly to his lips before letting it drop once again to his side. Zero kept his gaze fixated on his shoes, praying to every god he knew that he wouldn't blow their cover when they were so close to making it through.

Ichiou turned once again to Kaname, bowing deeply before saying, "She is beautiful, Kaname. You have done well." Kaname bowed back, relief etched in his entire being. "Thank you, Ichiou. Your praise means the world to me."

After a few more excruciating minutes of small talk, Ichiou and his group left to speak to other guests at the party, bowing one final time to the pureblood before making their way. Kaname waited until they were out of earshot before completely relaxing, all of the tension flying out of his body in one huge sigh. He looked over to Zero and squeezed his hand, smiling gently and kissing him softly on the lips.

"Good job, _Cero._ You're a very good actor, I must say."

Zero was about to make a cutting reply, but the feel of Kaname's lips on his again made the blood rush to his cheeks and his thoughts jumble up. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and started to close his eye in bliss. However, just as he was about to do so, he saw one person that changed everything.

A hunter was watching him from across the room.

Zero's eyes shot open and he pulled quickly away from Kaname. He locked eyes with the hunter – or rather, locked eye, as the eyepatch the hunter wore masked that part of his face. The hunter tipped his hat to cast his face in shadow and walked over to where the two vampires were standing. Zero let Kaname's hand drop, and he took a step toward the hunter. The hunter held up a hand, warning Zero to stay away. The silver haired teen stopped in his tracks, a confused look crossing his face.

The hunter looked up and met his gaze. "Don't take another step until you remember who I am, Zero."

Zero's eyes widened as that voice rang through his ears, unlocking the barrier that had been blocking his memories for the past month. He gasped, staggering back a bit against the rush of images, blinking rapidly to try and return to the present. He sensed Kaname move closer to him, and he his hunter instincts immediately leapt into action, making him curse violently and stumble away from the pureblood. He could feel Kaname's hesitation and shock, but he realized he didn't care.

Zero straightened and looked his mentor in the eye, bowing slightly to him. "Yagari-sensei. It's been a while."

Yagari chuckled quietly, clapping Zero on the shoulder. "Glad to see you again Zero…even if you are in a dress. Unfortunately, my visit bears ill news."

Zero looked up, confused, but Yagari shook his head, holding up his hand again. He looked over at Kaname, who was once again stiff as stone. Yagari bowed slightly to the pureblood before saying "Maybe we should take this somewhere more private? Zero, why don't you go change."

Kaname nodded jerkily and led them down the hall to an empty room. He ushered Yagari in and nodded to Zero to go get changed. When Zero returned in his normal clothes, Kaname locked the door and rounded on the elder hunter.

"What are you doing here, Yagari? We had a deal."

Yagari nodded, agreeing to the statement. "You're right, Kaname, we did have a deal. However, your representative has disappeared, run away from the academy. I have no idea how he got through our security…although I wouldn't be surprised if a certain female hunter were responsible." Yagari cast a meaningful glance at Zero, who cursed under his breath. "Yuuki…"

Kaname barked out a laugh. "How is it my fault that Aidou escaped? That's carelessness on your part. We are supposed to have no contact with our representative, so how could I have helped him escape? Which means that the one breaking our deal, for showing up at my party uninvited, and deliberately interacting with Zero."

Yagari nodded again. "Again, you're right. If that had been that had happened, I wouldn't be here. But before he left, Aidou managed to take a total of six of my best hunters to the grave. The sight that graced me when I entered the room was a bloody fucking mess, and your man standing in the middle of it all. He turned tail and ran as soon as he saw me."

Kaname smashed his fist into the wall, silencing the room. "Aidou would never do that – he acts malicious, but he's too spoiled to actually dirty his hands. This has to be a set up…someone framed him!"

"There was no one else in that hall besides Aidou and the six hunters. And presumably Yuuki was hanging around there somewhere. I talked to her, and she denied having been there, but her eyes spoke differently. She was practically in tears, which is proof enough for me."

Kaname started to speak, but Yagari interrupted him. "Before you speak, there's one more thing." He turned to Zero and pulled a Bloody Rose from the inside of his jacket. "I believe this belongs to you." Zero's eyes widened as he held the familiar gun in his hand, and he heard Kaname curse quietly. Zero gasped as a final piece of his memory fell into place – a misty night, a maze, and a maliciously playful vampire.

He rounded on Kaname without a second thought. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?"

Kaname started backing away, hands up in front of him, trying to calm the hunter down. "Zero, I did nothing, I swear." He figured lying was the best course of action right now. After all, Yagari wasn't smart enough to figure out…

"He's lying."

Both Kaname and Zero whipped their heads around to stare at Yagari. He was leaning against the wall, seemingly enjoying the show. He had a little smirk on his face as he locked eyes with Kaname before continuing his sentence.

"That gun appeared on my doorstep one morning about a month ago. Surprised the hell out of me to see it there, but because of our deal, I couldn't come to check on you. Since you're a fully-fledged vampire now Zero, I'm guessing that the night you lost your memory was the night you were changed. You lost your memory because this one – " he nodded in Kaname's direction, " – erased your memories that night. Then he sent your gun, the key to your life as a hunter, to me, so you wouldn't see it when you woke up. When you did wake up as a vampire, you had no memories and no way of getting them back. Quite a lot for someone who 'did nothing', don't you think so Kaname?"

Zero turned slowly to look at the pureblood, who had his head down in dismay. Zero strode over to the vampire and forced him to look him in the eyes. Kaname's eyes were tearing slightly, but his gaze didn't falter, even when he saw Zero's cold glare.

"Is it true?"

Kaname closed his eyes and nodded regretfully.

He didn't see the punch coming, and it threw him across the room. He cried out in pain before he could stop himself, but before he could begin to recover, he was picked up again. He opened his eyes to come face to face with the livid hunter, his lilac eyes flashing with hate.

"How _dare_ you do that to me!"

He threw Kaname across the room again, grinning maliciously at the muted 'thud' the vampire made against the wall. Kaname whimpered, pushing himself on all fours and breathing in pants. He hadn't been expecting this reaction from Zero, even in his darkest nightmares.

"Zero…I'm sorry."

He heard the distinct click of a gun being prepped, and he shuddered out a sob. He was yanked back by the hair, the cold metal pressed against his temple. He looked up to meet Zero's rage filled eyes, seeing no mercy there, no resemblance of the warm, blushing lover of a few moments ago. He felt a tear slide down his cheek as he realized the mess he had made, crying out as Zero slammed his head with the butt of his gun. Kaname blinked past the pain, forcing himself to stay conscious. If he was going to be killed, he wanted to be awake to see it happen.

Zero's voice surprised him when it cut through the silent atmosphere.

"You're pitiful. You can't even stand up, you're so weak. How can you, a baby, a weakling, be a pureblood? You're not a leader, you're a liar. You get what you want by ordering people around and manipulating them. You think you have friends? You think you have lovers? You don't. You have slaves. And when the time comes for them to leave you, you'll be all alone."

Zero released his grip on the vampire's hair, and Kaname fell to the ground, silent sobs shaking his form. Zero sniffed contemptuously and turned to walk away.

"Zero…"

Kaname's whisper caused him to pause – he didn't know why. Maybe it was a lasting effect of Kaname's mind control that the feelings in his heart were those of pity. He turned slightly to show the pureblood he was listening.

"Zero…I love you."

Zero turned around completely and sneered at the vampire. He watched as Kaname closed his eyes in defeat. The hunter's cold laughter rang through the room, bouncing off the walls so there was no way Kaname could escape the sound.

"You love me? Well, I hate you. So I don't care. See you on the battlefield, Kuran."

He turned and strode out of the room, Yagari fallowing close behind. The elder hunter spared a glance for the broken vampire, but then walked out of the room without a word. Kaname heard the door slam shut, the final word in his damnation – his hell without his love.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Why hello everyone! *coughs and shifts feet nervously***

…**Yeah it's been a while. Sorry I made you all wait so long for the next chapter – but it's finally here! **

**This has a little bit more backround of Zero and Kaname's relationship during the month that they were together. (geez, maybe I should have made that time span longer…a month really isn't that long… ^_^") Plus the plot is finally thickening :D**

**Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews! They keep me going when I have no inspiration to write T_T. Thank you, guys! :D**

**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Vampire Knight. At. All. … I think that covers it. **

**Okay, I think I'm done here…enjoy the chapter!**

"_Kaname!"_

_The vampire turned in surprise just in time to have a flash of silver collide with him head on. He grunted a little as he staggered back, blinking in shock at the hunter that had practically tackled him. Zero glared up at him from under his bangs, his lilac eyes stopping Kaname's heart for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. The pureblood took a deep breath to keep himself from stealing the teen away to a secluded place and making a complete mess of him. He felt his face curve into a genuine smile as he ruffled Zero's hair playfully._

"_To what do I owe the honor of nearly being bowled over by you? Something important, I take it?"_

_Zero detached himself slightly from the pureblood, just enough to reach his mouth up to his ear. _

"_I have something to tell you…" He whispered quietly, and Kaname shivered violently. Did Zero know what he was doing to him? Kaname caught a quick flash of a smirk as it darted across his lover's face, which was enough to show that Zero was setting up for an elaborate game. Kaname smirked as well, deciding to play along. He grabbed Zero's waist and pulled him as close as their bodies would allow, his hand snaking up to the teen's silver hair and fisting there. He pulled Zero's head back just enough so that their lips were nearly touching, and whispered his coy reply._

"_What is it, my love?"_

_In the next instant Zero was out of his grasp and running, pure laughter bouncing off the walls of the hallway in his wake. Kaname barely had any time to recover before the hunters parting words drifted to his ears._

"_If you can catch me…I'll tell you!"_

Kaname stared blankly at the empty hallway that stretched in front of him. He felt that if he closed his eyes, he could still hear the hunter's laughter as he ran off into the rest of the castle, playfully calling for the pureblood to chase him. If he tried hard enough, he could fall back into memory and escape this harsh, cruel thing that was now his reality. However, what hurt the most was that everything that had happened could have been avoided, had Kaname made a few vital changes in his judgment.

"Zero…" The pureblood whispered painfully as one pure red tear slipped down his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"Kaname-sama? There's someone to see you."

The vampire turned sharply at the sound of Ruka's voice behind him, wiping the tear away with a swipe of his hand. The chainmail he was wearing settled with a soft clinking noise as harsh reality set in at last. The hunters had proclaimed war against all vampires, and had already mustered up and army of hundreds over the course of the last month and a half. Kaname had sent three spies to the hunter academy – the only one that returned confirmed his fears. The hunters were attacking within the week – with Zero at the head of the entire army. Kaname was forced to bring out what he had hoped he would never see again; the set of armor that had once belonged to his father, which he wore during many of the battles he had fought against the hunters. The armor was light, made of the finest, most durable steel available. Because of a vampire's speed, there wasn't much actual armor in the set. It consisted of a breastplate, a chainmail tunic, and arm protectors. The armor was pitch black, with crimson edges - the colors of his pureblood line.

He stared coldly at Ruka, who had her head bowed in quiet submission. Everyone, even Shiki, had been afraid of Kaname since Zero had left. The pureblood was now known to fly into fits of rage without warning, even more so than he had before Zero's appearance. Shiki had once commented that Kaname resembled a two year old even more than he had before – unfortunately for Shiki, Kaname had overheard, and if it hadn't been for Rima's pleading, the expressionless vampire would have been eradicated on the spot. Everyone tiptoed around the pureblood these days, fearing that even the slightest step out of place would send into another of his rages. The fact that Ruka was approaching him now meant it must be extremely important.

"What is it, Ruka? I'm surprised you're actually speaking to me – it's a good thing at least one of my friends has a spine…"

With those words, some of Zero's parting words forced their way into his memory. He remembered the hunter's livid, jeering face as he spoke them. "_You think you have friends? You think you have lovers? You don't. You have slaves. And when the time comes, you'll be left all alone…"_

Ruka showed no reaction to the pureblood's use of the word 'friend', but simply bowed and relayed her message.

"There's someone here to see you, Kaname-sama. He should be here any min – "

She was cut short as Kaname pushed her aside, allowing the vampire standing behind her to be seen completely. His clothes were torn, and his hair a complete limp, dirty mess. He had fresh blood trickling down his cheek, and he was injured in several other places as well. His jewel-like eyes were closed in pain as he leaned heavily on the wall, a bit of blood dripping on the stone floor. As Ruka quickly recovered herself and darted from the room, the vampire lifted his gaze to meet Kaname's livid glare, his own ice-blue eyes filled with tears.

"Kaname-sama…please, I beg you, listen for only a minute. Whatever you heard isn't the truth…"

Kaname had him by the throat before he could finish, and slammed up against the wall in the next instant. The vampire cried out in pain as the numerous wounds on his body reopened and began to bleed anew. The stinging, aching pain that he felt increased tenfold as Kaname began to ruthlessly tighten his hold on the vampire's throat, cutting off any pleas the blonde would have formed.

"What business have you here, traitor? How dare you even set foot in this castle, let alone appear in my presence? You signed your death warrant the instant you betrayed the peace treaty we had formed, Aidou. There's no way in heaven or hell that you could ever be forgiven."

He once again tightened his grip on Adiou's throat, intending to slowly choke the traitor to death. However, before he could succeed in doing so, Kaname was yanked back by a pair of restraining hands. As the pureblood staggered back, Aidou fell to the ground in a heap, holding his throat and gasping for the breath that had been denied of him. Kaname twisted in the hands of his captor, but whoever was holding him was strong enough to keep him in place, and wouldn't let go.

"Kaname-sama, let Aidou speak. The story he carries holds extreme importance in relation to the treaty."

Kaname froze at the sound of Shiki's voice. So he defied him again, daring to lay a hand on him?

The stone wall behind Shiki exploded, the sharp pieces of rubble flying everywhere due to Kaname's explosion of power. Shiki ducked slightly, protecting the pureblood even as Kaname was trying to kill him. When he didn't release his hold, Kaname released another burst of his pureblood energy, exploding another section of the hallway in anger. Shiki refused to release his hold, even as some of the shard scratched his cheek, thin trails of crimson marring the porcelain perfection of his skin.

"Kaname-sama, please stop!"

Kaname looked over to see Rima charge down the hallway, followed by Kain, Ichijou, and Ruka. All four of the vampires rushed to Shiki's side, helping him in restraining the furious pureblood. All at once, the fight seemed to go out of Kaname. Zero's words continued to ring hauntingly in his ears, over and over again in a cruel melody.

"_You don't. You have slaves. And when the time comes, you'll be left all alone…"_

Kaname stopped struggling and closed his eyes as another memory swept across his vision, blocking out all the destruction he had wrought.

"_Zero?"_

_Kaname burst into yet another empty room, searching desperately for his missing lover. He choked out a frustrated sob as a quick sweep of the room confirmed that it was indeed empty. With a low curse, the vampire flung himself back into the hallway, running to the next door and flinging that one open as well. He repeated the process, willing to systematically search every single room of the castle until he found the silver haired teen._

_As he flung open the door that led to the cellar of the castle, he heard the faint echo of sobs creeping up the staircase. Spurred on in a sudden frenzy of speed, Kaname rushed down into the blackness, hearing the sobbing grow louder with every step he took. As he came across another closed door, he threw it open and rushed inside the dusty room, where Zero was curled up into a ball and sobbing in the middle of the floor. _

_Kaname ran to his side and held him close, gasping a little in surprise as Zero flung himself on him and clutched the pureblood's shirt, still sobbing uncontrollably._

"_Zero?" Kaname said the vampire's name, panic tingeing his voice. "What's wrong?"_

_Zero only shook his head and gestured wildly around the room, still unable to speak through his sobbing._

_Kaname looked up from his charge long enough to finally realize where they were. His eyes widened as he took in the numerous artifacts that hung on the walls around them, and he breathed out a low 'shit' as the realization hit him. No wonder Zero was a mess._

_The room was where he kept all the scraps of armor and weapons that he had obtained from the hunters he had fought, Usually, the armor was all that was left of the hunter when he was finished with him. A piece of a breastplate, a shred of a cloak, a fragment of a gun. He kept everything here, out of sight, so he wouldn't have to face exactly how many people he had killed._

_He held Zero tighter in an effort to comfort him. Although he had erased the boy's memories, the hunter still retained an enormous sympathy for his people. He was forever linked to the hunters and their clan, and all the memory modification in the world couldn't steal that away. Without their memories to help them, one is forced to rely on pure emotion to judge their actions. Ingrained in Zero was an undying loyalty to the hunters – likewise, without the hatred of past experiences clouding his eyes, Zero was able to fall in love with Kaname, a pureblood vampire._

_Kaname didn't know how long he held Zero's sobbing form, but eventually he nudged the hunter to his feet. "Come on, my love, let's get out of here."_

_He stood up gently, trying to pull Zero along with him, but he wouldn't budge. Kaname's brow furrowed in confusion, and tried again to bring Zero with him. Again the hunter refused to move, and yanked his arm out of Kaname's grasp._

"_I'm different, aren't I?" _

_Before Kaname could even begin to respond, Zero continued in the same monotone voice._

"_I'm not like the others here – I don't have any special abilities, I can't jump as high, I can't run as fast. It's almost as if I'm a human who lives off blood. I'm completely sympathetic with the hunters, but shouldn't they be my enemies? I don't understand what's happened to me, Kaname. I don't fit in here. I'm all alone."_

_Kaname dropped to one knee beside Zero and hugged him tighter than he ever had before. Before he had met this teen, the pureblood had been a cold, calculating person. Sarcastic, immoral, indifferent to others' feelings. But Zero had somehow warmed his heart without him noticing, allowing him to comfort the boy now, when before it would have been impossible._

"_Zero, you will never be alone. I'll always be here to comfort you. I promise you that if you ever, ever need me, just call for me and I'll be there before you finish saying my name. I promise, Zero. You will never be alone."_

_Zero finally opened his eyes, the pure lilac still swimming in tears. The hunter gave Kaname a watery smile, before repeating the words._

"_I'll never be…"_

"…alone…"

Kaname reopened his eyes to see the mess he had made of the hall where they were all congregated. He was disgusted with himself, now that the rage had died down. This place had contained one of his most dear memories of Zero; now, you could barely tell where in the castle this was. A pair of crimson tears dripping down his cheek, and the pools of red forming in his eyes threatening more to come. He closed his eyes again and let the tears fall, not caring that everyone was watching.

"I'm so sorry, everyone. If you wish it, you can leave this place. You have no more obligations to stay with me – I don't deserve any of you."

He winced slightly, awaiting the moment when everyone would take his word and leave him, a fate he very well deserved by now. As the seconds ticked by, he sensed that no one was moving. He flinched as he felt someone's fingers start wiping at the tears soaking his face, and opened his eyes to see who was caring for him so tenderly.

Shiki caught his glance and smiled weakly at him, his eyes spelling out forgiveness as he continued to clean the tears from the pureblood's face.

"Kaname-sama, despite what you may think, we all understand what you're going through. We've all lost our loves at one time or another – some of us have found new love, but some are still grieving, still waiting." He shot a glance over at Kain and Ruka, who were both staring silently at the ground, then at Rima, who was smiling gently at him. He smiled quickly back before flickering his gaze to Ichijou, who was quietly tending to Aidou. He nodded to his friend in acknowledgment before continuing.

"We all know what Zero said to you the night he left. Please understand, what he said to you, he said in anger and betrayal. And although I cannot speak for the others, I can personally say that I will never leave you, not even if one-thousand of hell's minions tried to tear me away. That I can promise you, my friend." Shiki bowed his head slightly before staring Kaname right in the eye and wiping away the last of his tears.

"But I _beg _of you, Kaname-sama. Please hear Aidou's story before you try to strangle him halfway into next year. Although I will admit it is rather tempting sometimes, we kinda need him alive."

The room burst into a sudden bought of laughter, and even Kaname cracked a smile. He hoisted himself into standing position, then stooped to help Shiki to his feet. Once he was sure his friend was healthy enough to stand on his own, he made his way to Aidou. The vampire was still rather beat up, but thanks to Ichijou's treatment, he was no longer bleeding. Kaname knelt in front of the blonde and bowed his head quietly.

"Aidou, I am sincerely sorry for my actions against you. They were uncalled for and unreasonable, and I pray for your forgiveness."

Aidou dismissed his words with a wave of a hand. "Kaname, you've beaten me up worse before and I'm still here. It'll take more than that to kill me, let me tell you."

The room's mood lightened even further as everyone once again burst into laughter. Kaname looked up at his closest friend, smiling the most he had since Zero left. As the hunter once again crossed his memory, Kaname's eyes darkened once again as he rose from his kneeling position and began to question Aidou.

"What happened?"

Aidou shook his head slowly, collecting his thoughts before speaking.

"I know this is going to sound crazy but…bear with me here. I was perfectly happy to be at the Academy…well, I was content at least. At first I was miserable, but then I met someone who made life there bearable." Aidou paused for a second, a light blush adorning his cheeks, but continued hastily. "Anyway, one day I came back late in the evening – I went for a long walk around the Academy to gather the courage to – I mean, I was thinking about something." The blush grew more pronounced, but then disappeared entirely as Aidou's eyes darkened considerably.

"As soon as I walked in the main door I knew something was wrong. Even at that late an hour, the Academy is still a really busy place. But just then, it was completely silent. As soon as I rounded the corner into the main hall, I saw what had happened. Everyone who had been in that room was dead, killed. There were bodies strewn all over the place – I knew some of them." Aidou closed his eyes, but continued to talk. "And standing there, in the middle of it all…was Zero."

Kaname clenched his fist and began to speak out against Aidou, but he held up a hand. "Let me finish"

"At least, I thought it was Zero. I've never actually met the kid, but I've heard stories, seen portraits. So I knew kinda what he looked like. And the guy standing in the middle of all the carnage fit the description exactly – silver hair, lilac eyes, the whole shebang."

Aidou sighed. "Before I could recover from the shock, the guy had already sprung into action. He ran into me, knocking me backwards, and then ran out the door. I didn't understand at first, but when I looked down at my shirt I realized I was now soaked in blood. I couldn't move so much as a step before Yagari runs in and sees everything. Of course, he made the conclusion that any sane person would make – that I had gone rouge and killed everyone. I did what anyone would have done with Yagari's gun pointing at their face. I ran."

Aidou shrugged, then winced as the action pulled at one of his wounds. He continued diligently despite the growing pain he felt. "There isn't really much else to tell…I'm pretty sure you know the result of my being framed by the way you greeted me earlier. We're back at war with the hunters now…and I really have no idea what's going on. Except I do know one thing."

He looked Kaname right in the eyes. "Like I said, I've never met Zero. But if the stories of the great hunter are correct, he's got a tattoo right here, right?" Aidou tapped the left side of his neck, and Kaname nodded silently. "Well, when he ran into me, I got a look of the imposter's neck. No tattoo. It was someone who looked a hell of a lot like Zero, but a completely different person. Someone who wants that vampires and the hunters to keep fighting, and will do anything to get it."

The entire room fell silent as everyone absorbed the news. After a few long minutes of heavy silence, Kaname stood and addressed the rest of the room.

"We have to speak with the hunters. The peace treaty was never broken, and they need to know that. Even if – " he paused and swallowed painfully. " – even if Zero hates me, we still need to let them know. We – "

An explosion shook the entire building, causing everyone to fall to the ground. Kaname stood shakily and yelled "What the hell is going on?"

Seiren, the one spy who returned from the near suicidal trip to the Hunter Academy, appeared out of nowhere, and bowed to Kaname in respect. She straightened immediately.

"Kaname-sama, the hunters are at the gate. They've breached the outer walls of the castle and are heading this way fast. I advise you to ready yourself for battle – they'll be here soon."

She turned to leave, but stopped at the last second.

"You may also want to ready yourself emotionally – Zero is leading them."

With that, the spy ran out of the room, as another explosion shook the mansion, tolling like a bell that was counting down the final minutes of existence.

Kaname took a steadying breath and turned to his companions.

"Let us ready for battle…my friends."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys! I have the next chapter for you~! :D**

**And just a heads up, looks like 2 or 3 more chapters and then this fanfiction will be finished. :'(**

**Sorry for the long wait…I had to figure out how to write this chapter to prepare for the ending. But I've got it now~! *happy dance***

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! *hugs all* They really make my day, thank you so much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or any characters thereof…yet. :3**

**Enjoy~! :D**

"_Ready!"_

The commander looked out across the army of hunters that stood ready before him, his gaze landing on the two hunters who were readying the next shot, trying to break the walls of the castle. When the catapult was loaded, one of the two looked up to the commander and nodded his head in a quick jerk, before darting behind the contraption to prepare for firing. The commander closed his eyes and yelled out the next command.

"_Aim!"_

The large catapult shifted slightly, aiming toward the section of wall they had been relentlessly pounding at for the past half an hour. By now, the nobles inside, including the hundreds of lower ranking vampires that worked as servants would be rallied behind their prince. The commander sneered in disdain in the general direction of what he knew was the princes chambers, mouthing a few choice curses in that direction as well. He cast a glance to the catapult, waiting for the telltale nod that told him it was in position. When the nod came, he took a deep breath, preparing to bellow out the final command.

….

"_FIRE!"_

He watched in a sort of sick satisfaction as the steel ball, laced through with anti-vampire technology, soared through the grey sky to collide perfectly with the weakest part of the castle's front wall. With a roar that resounded across the entire hunter army, the wall finally collapsed, giving the commander a perfect view of the inner courtyards. Unwillingly, a flash of memory flickered in front of his vision. For an instant, he could see the sun shining through the low, dark clouds, and the walls were once again whole and sturdy. A lone vampire walked the winding pathways of the courtyard, making his way to the massive fountain that resided in the center. Suddenly, another figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere, running to catch up with his dark haired companion. At this distance, the only way to tell the difference between the two was the color of their hair; one the darkest brown, the other the purest silver.

The commander blinked rapidly, forcing the memory to the back of his mind, and the vision disappeared. His sight was graced once again with the broken, cracked walls of the castle, and the fountain that had once flowed so beautifully was broken in two, completely dried up and sad looking.

However, one thing from his vision stayed the same. A proud looking dark haired vampire stood alone in front of the decimated fountain, his head bowed as if deep in thought. He was bedecked in black armor, complemented by a deep red accents and a crimson cloak falling from his shoulders. The vampire held a black bladed long sword in both hands, point secured safely in the ground.

As the vampire looked up, the commander could make out his features even at the distance he stood. He knew that vampire's looks as well as his own. The commander closed his eyes, picturing what he must look like to the lone vampire. He was also bedecked in light armor, for the weight of a normal set would only slow him down, and lessen his advantages against quicker foes. In direct contrast to the vampire's, however, his armor was pure silver, with purple accents running through the metalwork. In his hands he held an elegant rapier, which had a stunning amethyst set in the hilt. He too looked up, staring the vampire down in confrontation.

_What are you looking at, Kaname?_

'_I'm staring at a beautiful hunter who used to love me.'_

The commander scowled deeply, projecting his thoughts to the vampire, who hadn't changed his stance at all. _What are you doing in my _head, _Kaname?_

He thought he heard a weak chuckle, but then brushed it off as his imagination. _'We're bonded. At this close distance, if you project your thoughts to me, I can read every word you think. The same happens vice versa.'_

The commander said nothing, thought nothing, and let the silence fill the void between the two.

He heard Kaname sigh. _'Zero, don't do this. Please, please listen to me. Someone framed us; Aidou didn't kill those hunters. I swear this on my life, and yours – we were set up.'_

_I don't want to hear it. You lie. You've always lied. _

'_Zero, please…'_

_No, Kaname. You fooled me once before, it won't happen again._

'_Zero…'_

_No._

'…_How long has it been since you've fed, Zero?'_

The question took him by surprise. He couldn't answer, and before he could collect his thoughts, Kaname began speaking again.

'_You haven't fed since the night in the maze, when I changed you. I have not fed since then either. We are bonded, meaning we can no other's blood but our bondmate's. However, because of the vitality of the blood, we can go longer than normal vampires can – about two months, rather than two weeks'_

'…_it's been two and a half months, Zero. You need to feed, I need to feed soon, or we'll both die. Do you understand, Zero? You'll die – you have to accept that you need me, Zero. I can't be your enemy, not now. I can't fight you. Please, please listen to what I have to say. I promise that I'm not lying – I will never lie to you again. I am begging you on my knees, Zero.'_

Zero watched in blatant disbelief as Kaname sank to his knees, throwing his sword to the side and staring him straight in the eye.

'_Zero, this is foolishness. Please hear me out, and I swear everything will make sense…'_

Zero felt himself weakening, and surprised himself in almost agreeing with the pureblood. He collected his thoughts and prepared to tell Kaname that he would accept his offer, but the vampire's next words stopped him short.

'_You can't be both a vampire and a hunter, Zero. You're a vampire now; you have to accept that. You need to listen to me, you need to feed, and you need to trust me.'_

Zero growled, spitting out every curse he could think off, aiming the harsh words at the vampire.

_How dare you tell me what I can and cannot be! I thought you had changed. I thought you were different. But now I see you were just weaving another web of lies. You can never stop manipulating people, can you Kaname? You always have to be in control of others. Well, I don't want a part in any of it. Any sob story you came up with to defend that scum of a blonde vampire, keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear another word from you, Kaname. You don't deserve my patience._

With that, Zero raised the point of his sword to the sky, the silver blade winked dimly in the scant light that filtered through the clouds. With his gaze still secured firmly on Kaname, who had stood from his kneeling position and was once again standing, he addressed the army that stood behind him.

"Come, hunters! Let's give these filthy pieces of scum what they deserve!"

The army roared in consent, and followed Zero without another thought as the commander ran at a full sprint across the distance that separated him and his enemy. Kaname watched his lover's advance as long as he safely could before turning and running into the castle, scooping up his sword as he went.

Negotiations had failed. Now they had to fight, and pray that they survived long enough for Zero to change his mind.

As Kaname cast one last glance at the charging hunters, he realized that that may take a very long time.

. . .

"Ichijo, get Aidou someplace safe. I don't want him to be injured by the hunters any more than he already has been." The pale haired vampire nodded and rushed Aidou to the upper level of the castle. Kaname spun on his heel to address the others. "Ruka, Kain, go to the rest of the army and make sure they're ready to fight; the hunters will be here in a matter of minutes, they only have to break through the back door now." A resounding crashing sound echoed from down the hall, and Kaname flinched. "Scratch that, I'll be right behind you." As they ran off, Kaname turned to the final two vampires. "Shiki, Rima, I have a special task for you. I need to help me capture Zero. He will almost definitely come straight to me, but with his anti-vampire weapons, he outmatches me. Once you see us fighting, I need you to contain him. No matter what kind of danger I am in, your first priority is to stop Zero – injure him if you must, but keep him alive."

The two vampires nodded quickly in agreement before dashing down the hallway after their companions, another rattling crash tearing through the castle, counting down the few minutes they had left. Kaname willed his legs to move, and he ran through the twisting hallways, nearly running right into a wall as he made an extremely sharp turn. After one of their precious minutes had passed, Kaname had arrived in the front hall, where the entire vampire army was standing ready and waiting, their eyes flickering back and forth across the room. They were nervous; it was nature to be nervous of hunters.

Kaname walked to the front of the crowd and turned to address all of them.

"Now, I would love to give you all a heart-warming speech that would have each and every one of you cheering my name…" Another resounding crash, and then Kaname could hear the faint cheering of the hunters. They were finally in the castle. "…But as you can see, the hunters have a different plan than I do, and we always need to respect our guest's wishes, correct?" Kaname was smirking, and the army chuckled softly to itself. Kaname spread his arms wide. "Let's give the hunters the _warmest_ welcome we can muster!" The army cheered, raising their weapons towards the ceiling as they did. Kaname raised his hands to quiet them. "Our strategy is this: Split up into groups of twenty or smaller. Make them come to us. Use the entire castle, separate them, and take them down one by one. We know the terrain better than they do, and they know it. Be careful, be smart, and be crafty. And don't forget to stay alive." More laughter from the crowd, and more cheering. Kaname added one more order to his list.

"No one touch the general. He's mine."

. . .

Zero scanned the empty hallway in suspicion. Yes, they had come in the back door, but he was expecting at least _some _resistance from the hunters. Instead, all that greeted him in this back hallway was…empty hallway. Zero cursed softly, the vampires' plan remained clouded to him.

He turned to address the army of hundreds that stood ready behind him.

"Well, my fellow hunters, it seemed that the monsters are too afraid to come out from under the bed and _play._" Zero broke into laughter, and the army followed suit. Their laughter bounced off of the walls, traveling through the castle, hopefully reaching vampire ears.

_If they want to hide, they'll have to put up with humiliation._

"Unfortunately, we'll have to do much more work than we had originally thought – but don't worry. After all, if the leeches want to hide, then they will be hunted…in the literal sense of the word."

Zero smirked as the army erupted into cheers and excited whispers. Whether or not they knew it, the vampires had just provided them with the best game the hunters had ever experienced. Zero's smirk grew before he once again addressed the group.

"We're going to have to split up. I doubt that they're all huddled in the great hall in one big group; but then again…I wouldn't put it past them."

More laughter.

Zero was flat out grinning by now. "Now, my friends, the moment of truth." He raised his arms, as if trying to reach every single one of his soldiers. "It is very rare that I must say this, but it must be said. Do not underestimate these vampires. Some of them, rather, most of them, are simply servants here. They will not be too powerful. However, there are also a group of powerful nobles residing in this castle, and they are Kuran's closest advisors. They will no doubt be the ones leading the army. Be wary of them, but make them your target. If you destroy them…" Zero mimed something falling inside itself with his hands. "…the entire army will collapse upon itself."

Zero wasted no time, and waved away the cheers he received with his hand. "Separate into small groups; twenty, twenty-five strong. Yuuki, you'll be coming with me. Scour the castle and…don't take prisoners."

He didn't hush the cheers this time, and, like the laughter before it, it bounced along the castle walls, into the very heart of the castle, where one lone vampire was standing. The Great Hall had long since been emptied, the vampire army gone to spread out in the castle, and wait for the enemy. The vampire stood with his eyes closed, listening intently as the cheering died down.

He could just barely hear Zero talking once more, and the final command reached his ears with a sense of accomplishment.

"No one touch the pureblood; he's mine."

Kaname opened his blood red eyes and smiled.

"I'll be waiting, my love."

Back in front of the hunters, Zero couldn't stop a sudden chill from traveling down his spine. He turned to face the depths of the castle, and if he tried, he could almost see it as he had thousands of times, with sunlight streaming through the windows, with Kaname at his side. He shook his head violently, glaring at the darkness ahead of him, and ultimately the pureblood that the darkness was hiding.

_I'll be waiting…Kaname._

. . .

_Twenty minutes later_

A hunter group walked quietly through one of the numerous hallways the castle housed. They had yet to run into any form of life, and they were beginning to get a bit nervous. One of the group, a young hunter of barely sixteen, turned around to scan the area behind him. He caught a flash of movement, and called to the rest of his group. They had already traveled too far ahead to hear him. Steadying himself, the hunter ran toward the movement he saw, readying his gun, ignoring the fact that his hands were shaking.

He turned the corner to come face to face with the pureblood himself. He opened his mouth to scream for help, but an instant later, he heard the screams of his companions echo through the halls. His eyes widened in fear, for as soon as the screaming had started, it stopped, leaving the halls to be eerily silent.

The hunter looked up at Kaname, fear plan in his eyes as he dropped his weapon and knelt on the ground.

"Please spare me…I don't want to do this…I don't want to be here…I don't want to fight I don't want to kill I don't want to hurt you…_I don't want to die._" His voice was shaking uncontrollably, and tears were streaming down his face. He felt Kaname's hand on his head, and he flinched, sure that death was only a breath away. When he took another breath and death still hadn't claimed him, he looked up in surprise. Kaname was staring at him with the strangest expression, almost one of compassion. The young hunter blinked, and the purebloods face morphed into a sad smile.

"I have never met a hunter who admitted he was afraid, or swallowed enough of his pride to kneel before a vampire. Are there others like you?"

The boy blinked slowly, before nodding his head vigorously. "Oh, yes. Everyone in this army from my generation sees no point in this battle. We – " He looked away slightly. "We have vampire friends. We wouldn't even be here, except Zero called for every able-bodied hunter available and…when Zero calls, we answer. You of all people should understand the pull a leader has on his people." He looked at Kaname defiantly, before remembering his place and returning his gaze to the floor.

Kaname smiled, ruffling the boy's hair before making him look him in the eye again.

"Down this hall and to the left is a door which bears a carving of a swan on it. I want you to go to that room and knock three times in rapid succession. When the door opens, tell the vampire you see that I sent you, and you support peace between our kinds. He will let you in and keep you safe from harm. Do you understand? I will also send out an order to all vampires in this castle to spare the hunters that fight reluctantly, and to send them to the same room, so your friends will be safe if they wish for peace."

The hunter nodded, his eyes wide with wonder that the pureblood would do this much for him.

Kaname smiled again. "Not just for you, but for both of our races. This war is pointless, and the ground on which it sits is shifting. Hatred just for the sake of hatred is equal to blindness. You are the first I have met who is not cursed with the blindness of your ancestors."

Kaname ushered the boy down the hall, and watched as he disappeared into the gloom. The torches had been doused for the sake of concealment, but it gave the entire castle and overall gloomy look. Kaname sighed, and focused his thoughts on one order.

_Spare the hunters who are reluctant to fight. Send them to Ichijo if the plead peace._

Over and over again, for ten minutes straight, until he was certain that every vampire understood his orders. Kaname turned and concentrated once again on a single presence.

_Zero…where are you?_

"Right behind you, Kuran."

Kaname turned, surprise etched all over his face. It was extremely unlikely that Zero would have been able to sneak up on him like this…their bond should have alerted him of his presence.

"Zero…please listen to me…"

"Why would I listen to you, Kuran? You're a vampire. A pureblood vampire, at that."

Zero began to advance on Kaname, who backed away in time with the hunters step. Something was off about Zero…the hatred that burned in his eyes seemed somehow colder, less personal than it should have been. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Zero…why do you hate me so much?"

Zero stopped short, staring at Kaname quizzically before laughing coldly.

"Why? You're a vampire. I have no other reason to hate you other than you don't belong on the face of this earth."

He had barely stopped talking before he was slammed into a wall, Kaname's hand at his throat. The pureblood twisted his captive's head to the side, inspecting the left side of his neck.

_No tattoo._

Kaname met the imposter's gaze, which was burning with a sick light. "Who are you? Why have you done this to our peace?"

The zero look alike laughed, and even to Kaname's vampire ears, his laugh sounded identical to Zero's. It was uncanny.

"There never was any peace between our kinds, only the concealment of true feelings. The only way there can be peace between hunter and animal is if the animals are obedient. However, you and yours have never been obedient. So you must be eradicated."

Kaname opened his mouth to reply, but an intense feeling of _completion _rolled over him in waves, and his grip on his captive slackened. The silver haired boy fell to the ground as Kaname turned to look at the people who were walking towards him, one a female with short brown hair who stayed safely behind the other, who had his sword raised in a protective stance.

"_Zero…"_

Before anyone could do anything else, Kaname felt himself being pulled backwards, and immediately after felt the distinct pressure of a knife at his throat. His eyes widened in surprise as he stood stock still against his captor, breathing with caution and waiting for the hunter's next move.

"I'm afraid you can't have him, brother dear. I saw him first."

_Brother?_

Kaname's eyes flicked to Zero's face, and he was shocked to see an expression of confusion and…possessiveness on the hunter's face. Zero took another step forward, and Kaname felt the knife dig deeper into his throat, drawing a few beads of blood. The anti-vampire magic was already working on him, making him too weak to fight back.

Zero stared at the other hunter in disbelief, his feelings a jumble in his head.

"What are you doing here…Ichiru?"

His mirror image grinned back at him, tightening his grip on Kaname.

"I've come to rid the world of this nuisance. Care to join me?"

Zero couldn't move, couldn't react to his twin's question.

Ichiru raised one eyebrow. "No? Oh well, guess I'll get it over with then."

Kaname closed his eyes as he felt the knife begin to slide across his throat.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Woot! Three cheers for fast (kinda) update! I feel so proud of myself. **

**Welcome to the latest chapter :P I was planning on making it longer and have it be the last chapter but…seeing how as I left you folks with a MASSIVE cliffhanger, I decided to be nice and post this now, and have the next chapter be the finale (I think…don't hold me to that) An apology in advance that this is kinda fast paced, but I hope everything makes sense T_T **

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! *grins widely* You guys make me feel so loved~**

**I should probably stop rambling and let you start the chapter now :3 But I'll finish up quick: Happy New Year~! And the disclaimer still applies. :D**

**Enjoy!**

Kaname winced slightly as his captor continued to slowly drag the anti-vampire knife over his throat, miniscule incision by miniscule incision. Ichiru would make a cut, pause for a moment, then make another, deeper cut in the same area. This method of torture – for there really was no other word for it – drove Kaname nearly over the brink of insanity with pain, and before long he was squirming in the hunter's iron grasp, trying and failing to swallow his screams.

He opened his eyes briefly to look at Zero, who stood rooted to his spot with a look of pained sorrow on his face. Kaname could see his lover straining to figure out a way to stop this, but coming up blank. Kaname smiled as Ichiru dug the knife deep again, causing another rivulet of blood to course down his neck, joining the pool that had already collected along his torso. Beneath his armor, he was certain that his shirt was already soaked through. He didn't care that he was dying. As long as Zero was able to escape safely…

Kaname closed his eyes again, concentrating every bit of power he still had left into projecting one thought into his lover's head.

_Zero, I'm sorry. I love you…_

He could feel his consciousness fading away. He had lost too much blood, and with the anti-vampire magic weakening him, his body didn't have enough strength to heal itself. Panicking, Kaname hurried to get the final part of his message to Zero. He sent the hunter quick flashes of images, people. Shiki, Ruka, Kain, Aidou, Ichijo, and the nameless hunter boy who's life he had spared.

_Protect them…and run._

It was his last thought before he was swallowed by blackness.

. . .

Zero watched in frozen shock as Kaname's body went limp. Ichiru paused in his sick ministrations, leaning over the pureblood to inspect his face. When he straightened up, he wore a pout on his lips.

"What a spoil sport. He didn't even survive to get to the fun stuff. I was gonna do his wrists next."

Ichiru released Kaname's body without ceremony, and the pureblood fell to the ground, connecting with the floor with a muted thud. Ichiru stared at the body for a minute before stepping right over it, walking toward Zero with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Well Zero, aren't you happy? I killed another pureblood for you! Mother and Father would be so proud, wouldn't they?" Ichiru grinned, almost right in front of his twin now. The tip of Zero's sword and lowered to the ground sometime during Kaname's torture, and before Zero could think to bring it up again, Ichiru was already clapping him on the shoulder.

"Come on, brother, let's finish cleaning out this castle, and then let's go home. I'm tired."

Zero looked past his twin to Kaname's limp form, his emotions all jumbled up in his head. Ichiru followed his gaze and laughed.

"Don't worry Zero, he won't attack you. He's quite dead. You won't have to worry about him hurting you anymore."

Something in Ichiru's tone broke something in Zero. He jerked away from his brother's touch, staring his twin in the eyes. There wasn't any kind of emotion there, no kindness, no love, no regret for the life he had just taken. The vampire life he had taken…the arrogant, conceited, stuck up, self-centered life he had taken.

His _lover's _life.

Zero raised his sword, his emotions finally settling down in order as memories of the pureblood's _kindness_ flooded his mind. The way Kaname had smiled at him, the way he laughed, the feel of his touch all radiated love and kindness. Even after Zero had cast him away, the pureblood still showed him nothing but compassion. He had been too pigheaded and blind to notice, and now…

Zero looked again at Kaname's still figure and felt tears begin to slide down his cheeks. He caught one on his finger and stared at it in wonder. The tear was pure red, shimmering softly in the dim light.

He heard Ichiru gasp and looked up in time to see him backing away. He drew a second knife from behind his back and stood poised to attack, still staring at Zero with wide eyes.

"Those are the tears of a vampire." He hissed, before lunging at his brother in a sudden flurry of motion. Zero had barely enough time to raise his blade before Ichiru recovered and attacked again, his two blades a blur of silver motion. He felt a sharp stinging in his cheek, followed by a dull ache as the anti-vampire magic began to activate. It wasn't as strong against him, since he was an ex-human, but it still weakened him considerably.

Ichiru glared at him with eyes blazing with hate. "You let the bastard _change_ you? You're no better than a beast now! You had so much promise, and now…" Ichiru raised his blades, the silver metal glimmering faintly, even in the practically non-existent light. His eyes held the same silver sheen, the lilac orbs that so resembled Zero's own, clouded over with blind hate.

"You are nothing to me."

Zero shook his head and backed away, trying to erase his twins scathing words from his mind. He held his blade up in a protective stance and cast one final glance at Kaname. He steadied himself and ran at Ichiru, waiting until they were locked blade to blade before he called back to Yuuki, his voice wavering in pain and desperation.

"Yuuki! Run for help! There's a door down this hallway; it's Ichijo's room. I want you to run there and knock as hard and loud as you can until someone answers. Ichijo isn't one for fighting, so he's bound to be in there. Tell him Kaname's hurt. Get back here with help!" Ichiru tried to untangle his blades from Zero's, but Zero wouldn't let him. He noticed that Yuuki still hadn't moved. Zero let out a low growl.

"_GO, YOU IDIOT!"_

Zero's yell was enough to get the little brunette moving, and as soon as Zero was certain she was out of immediate harm's way, he allowed Ichiru to retake his blades. Zero winced as he felt his muscles burning from the strain of holding his twin in place, but wasn't given any time to recover. Ichiru came at him once again, slashing his knives at alternate times, so Zero was constantly blocking in different directions. Ichiru continued to advance, and before long he had Zero backed up against a wall.

"Can't go anywhere, now can you Zero?" Ichiru grinned sadistically and slipped one of his knives under Zero's guard, slicing his forearm before dancing away.

Zero hissed in pain as he felt the wound begin to bleed sluggishly. He was terribly outmatched by Ichiru in this battle. Had he his gun rather than a rapier, he may stand a better chance, but in a battle of rapier versus knives, knives will always win.

Despite this, Zero raced toward Ichiru once again, sweeping his sword up to cut Ichiru vertically in half. Ichiru looked surprised that Zero was attacking, but dodged the swipe easily and retaliated with a swift, shallow cut to the leg. Zero winced as the blade made contact, causing his leg to twinge, and the silver haired hunter to stumble.

Ichiru took this opportunity to kick Zero to the ground, pointing one of his knives at his face while the other was used to protect himself. Ichiru stepped harshly on his brother's sword arm, causing Zero to scream in pain as he was forced to let go of his blade. Ichiru kicked the sword away from Zero's reach and knelt quickly onto his chest. He placed his second knife against his twin's throat, a sick smile twisting across his face.

"Bye-bye, vampire."

The sound of a gunshot ripped through the hallway, and Ichiru stiffened. A moment later, he threw himself off of Zero, clutching his shoulder and writhing on the floor in pain. Zero flew to his feet, recovering his blade and turning to face his savior.

Ichijo stood holding a smoking gun, his face a stony mask of determination. As he lowered his gun, a voice behind him chirped up. "Allow me to introduce you to the first anti-hunter weapon; a good ole' fashioned revolver." Aidou's head popped up behind Ichijo's shoulder, grinning in a brief moment of elation. Ichijo turned to the blonde and whispered something in his ear, which immediately sobered him up. He turned around and ran to Kaname's side, kneeling and taking up his friend's hand in shock.

Zero ran to the pureblood, kneeling across from the blonde and feeling desperately along Kaname's wrist for the faintest sign of a pulse, ignoring the screams of pain he heard from the other corner of the room. He no longer cared what happened to Ichiru. He had brought it upon himself. Zero held his fingers at the pulse point of Kaname's wrist, silently begging for the telltale sign of life.

One second passed.

Two.

Thr –

A faint, almost nonexistent heartbeat pulsed through the pureblood's veins, and Zero cried with relief. He felt a hand settle on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Ichijo smiling sadly at him, his hands still shaking slightly from firing the gun.

"Don't celebrate yet, Zero; he's still dying."

Zero used his free hand to clasp Ichijo's wrist. He stared wide eyes at the vampire, silently pleading.

"What do I do?"

It was Aidou who answered.

"He needs your blood. You're his bond mate, so only you can save him. Kaname was running on empty at the beginning of this battle, pardon the phrase. The fighting and the anti-vampire weapons only weakened him further. He needs a vast amount of blood in order to survive now." The blond vampire stared Zero in the eye, his seriousness weighing down the room. "Understand this, Zero. Once Kaname starts to take your blood, his instincts will take over. Were he completely healthy and just a tad hungry, he would be able to stop, but in this state…he will take what he needs, and won't stop until he's healed." Aidou took a breath and finished his speech.

"He may very well kill you. Are you willing to take that chance?"

Zero nodded without hesitation. "Kaname was willing to give his life for my safety. He's given me everything from the very start. I was simply too blind to see it. If dying is what it takes to save him now, then I'll die. I was too blind to see his kindness and…" Zero felt tears streaming down his cheeks. "…and THIS happened! None of this would have happened if I…"

Ichijo's grip on his shoulder tightened in sympathy, and even Aidou looked down in pity. He could feel the hunter's regret radiating from his very soul, and had to blink away tears of sorrow at the fact that Zero had to make this choice, had to see his lover dying in front of him, and know without a doubt that it was all his fault.

Zero let out a choked sob, lifting his sword to his wrist and slashing it across, feeling the blood begin to flow immediately from the incision. He lowered his bleeding wrist to Kaname's lips, praying that he wasn't already too late.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Five.

Ten.

Zero let out another choked sob as Kaname remained still as a stone, unmoving and not reacting at all to the blood before him. Tears fell nonstop down Zero's face as he realized that he was too late, that Kaname was already gone. He wanted to curl up in a ball and die, just disappear, but…

His hunter stubbornness wouldn't let him

Zero looked up with blazing eyes, grabbing Kaname's chin with his uncut hand and turning the pureblood's face toward him.

"You ungrateful bastard, you _will _drink this. You _are _going to survive, _whether you like it or not._"

He forced Kaname's mouth open and, bracing himself against the coming pain, impaled his bleeding wrist on Kaname's fangs.

He screamed in pain as he felt a hand grasp his wrist, and the fangs sink deeper into his skin. He was jerked forward by inhuman strength, falling on top of Kaname as he held his wrist in an iron grasp, greedily taking every drop of blood Zero had to offer. The hunter squirmed in the pureblood's grip, yelping loudly as shocks of pain continued to radiate from his lover's fangs.

Another minute passed in this manner, and Zero began to feel extremely dizzy. He relaxed against Kaname, his hand going limp in the pureblood's grasp, and his mind beginning to fuzz over pleasantly. He slowly closed his eyes, taking in Kaname's scent and smiling blissfully as he sank into unconsciousness.

_I hope I wake up again. I need to tell Kaname how much I – _

Zero fainted before he could finish the thought.

. . .

Ichiru shuddered and opened his eyes slowly. The hallway was empty, but he could still hear the faint sound of battle coming from elsewhere in the castle. Groaning in pain, the silver haired teen heaved himself into a sitting position, trying to use his shoulder as little as possible. The wound had stopped bleeding ages ago, apparently, and the blood has already dried up.

_Damn that blood sucking bastard. Where'd he get that gun anyway?_

Ichiru paused for a moment to try and get his bearings. Zero, the pureblood, and all the other vampires had vanished, leaving only a dried bloodstain where Kaname had lain. Ichiru growled out a curse before stumbling into standing position, making his was slowly down the hallway, towards the sound of fighting. Wherever his twin had run off to was none of his business. All Ichiru concentrated on was getting out of the castle as soon as possible.

As he rounded the corner into a larger hallway, he collided with another hunter. He yelped loudly in pain and fell to the ground, ending up in the exact same position he had started in – on his back wondering what the hell had happened.

He heard the hunter, who had landed next to him, get up quickly and start apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, I – Zero-sama?"

Ichiru felt his brow furrow in confusion before he realized the hunter was talking to him. His mouth formed into a smirk as a plan began to take shape in his mind. As he sat up he looked at the hunter and replied calmly, "Yes, I'm Zero. I ran into a group of vampires a while ago. I defeated the lot but…one of them had a gun, and shot me in the shoulder." Ichiru gestured toward his injury with his free hand. "I want you to run these halls and tell every hunter you see to regroup at the back door. I have a new plan of action, but I need everyone. Can I entrust this task to you?"

The hunter nodded, running off to find his fellow soldiers. Ichiru smirked before hoisting himself up once again and making his way back to the place where the hunters had started this battle. Not only was it an area all the soldiers here knew, he knew it was also the last place any vampire would go. It was perfect for what he had in mind.

"We'll rush them. They wanna play hide and seek? I'm tired of hide and seek. I wanna play this my way now." Ichiru smiled as he rounded another corner.

_And my way always wins._

. . .

Zero groaned and opened his eyes.

_I better not be dead…_

He was far beyond the point of coherent thought, and almost immediately slipped back into unconsciousness. It took him a good twenty minutes to actually come around enough to recognize he was one hundred percent alive and well, if not a little beaten up and woozy from blood loss. He groaned again and spat out a few choice curses towards no one in particular, and forced himself to his elbows.

Fighting off the intense bout of nausea that washed over him, the hunter squinted at his surroundings, trying to let as little light into his sensitive brain as was humanly – or supernaturally – possible. Thankfully, whoever had put him in this room had been considerate. The drapes that hung from the enormous windows were shut, and all lights were turned as far off as they could possibly be, casting the room into near complete darkness. Zero blinked and opened his eyes a little more, testing the waters before deciding he wasn't going to go blind and opened his eyes fully.

Now that he could actually see, he recognized the room he was in immediately. Even if the structure of the room and the crimson sheets of the bed he was laying on wasn't enough of a hint, the scent that permeated the entire room was a huge tip off. Zero closed his eyes again and fell back on the bed, simply enjoying the beautiful scent that swirled around him from every direction.

_Kaname. I'm in Kaname's room._

Zero sighed softly. He hadn't felt this at peace since…

His eyes flashed open. He quickly went through a series of information in his mind.

_My name is Zero Kiriyu. I am a hunter as well as an ex-human, thanks to Kaname. I have a twin brother named Ichiru, who has turned out to be a complete asshole with a twisted mind to boot. My sensei's name is Yagari, and he raised me when my parents were killed years ago. I was sent here as a part of a treaty between vampires and hunters. We are now at war because that treaty failed._

He sighed in relief. They were all still there. Every single one of his memories was intact and exactly where they should be. However, a moment later the hunter's brow furrowed in confusion.

_I haven't felt this at peace since…I was living with Kaname, without my memories._

Zero growled in frustration. Why was he even here? Wasn't he supposed to hate Kaname? The vampire had taken his memories from him for his own selfish devices!

_He gave them back, though. _A small voice in the back of Zero's mind spoke up. _And he only took them in the first place because you were too stubborn to give up your hatred._

"Shut up, you." Zero growled. Unfortunately, the voice didn't want to shut up.

_And since when do you do what you're 'supposed' to do? Aren't you always breaking the rules? Just admit that you love the vampire and be through with it._

Zero remained silently, wisely choosing not to argue with the voice in his head.

However, he had to admit that it – that is, his subconscious – had a point. He couldn't deny the exhaustion he felt about this entire battle scenario, and the undeniable attraction he felt toward the pureblood. Even though he _had _changed him against his will and he _had _erased every memory he had ever experienced, Zero couldn't find it in him to stay mad at his lover.

What Kaname had done he had done out of love. And try as he might to deny it, all of Zero's reactions were also out of love, or rather, the refusal of his pronounced feelings of love.

Zero heard a faint chuckle sound from the spot on the bed next to him, and he turned his head rapidly to the left. It wasn't the greatest of ideas, since it brought on another wave of nausea, but as soon as his eyes focused he was glaring at the chuckling culprit.

"Glad to see you're amused, Kaname."

The pureblood smirked, lazily taking a strand of Zero's silver hair and twisting it between his fingers. Zero tried and failed to ignore the fact that his heart was pounding.

"I can hear you're heartbeat, you know. Don't try to hide the fact you love me. Although watching you try _is _very amusing, I must admit. What I find more amusing, however – " Kaname rolled over until he had one hand on either side of Zero's face, his lover pressed on his back into the bed. He hovered over the hunter teasingly, a playful smile dancing across his features. " – is that you _actually _thought you were speaking to your subconscious just then. I can't believe you fell for it. You just admitted that you love me to the very person you were trying to hide it from." He leaned down to meet Zero's glaring eyes and brushed his lips across the hunter's blushing red cheek.

"You really are very cute, my love." Kaname murmured almost inaudibly, and relocated his lips onto the Zero's, kissing the hunter slowly and savoring every second that he spent with his lover. Just as Kaname was about to continue, he heard a faint knock at the door.

Growling softly, he leapt of off Zero, who was still trying to tame the raging blush on his cheeks, and walked quickly to the door.

He opened it a crack to see Ichijo standing with a solemn look on his face.

"Kaname, the hunters are making a move. We need you and Zero at the front. I know you're both recovering from near death but…I wouldn't be here if it wasn't life or death for us."

Kaname's eyes darkened considerably and he nodded to Ichijo silently. He closed the door with a muted click and returned to the bed, where Zero was now sitting with a confused look on his face.

"Kaname, what's going on? What did Ichijo have to say?"

The pureblood took Zero's hand in his own, tracing the faint blue outlines of veins that were sketched under the skin.

"I wish I could tell you that nothing was wrong, but I promised I would never lie to you again." Kaname looked up to meet the hunter's startling lilac eyes. "And that's a promise I intend to keep. Ichijo wants us at the front. Apparently the hunters are on the move, and they need us there immediately."

Zero nodded and stood up instantly, only to stumble forward and fall on his face. Kaname caught him just before he hit the ground, a concerned look spread across his face.

"Zero…maybe I'd better carry you. This is your first time recovering from so much blood loss. You're still recuperating."

Zero was too dizzy to reply, but as he was swept into Kaname's arms, he managed to get out "You nearly died too."

Kaname chuckled and made his way out of the room.

"I've had _much _more practice."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey everyone~!**

**Okay, before you all stone me to death because of the three WEEKS I went without posting, allow me to explain my actions…or lack thereof.**

**Well, the first week was midterms, which came at the WORST possible time (right after I posted the last chapter) so I couldn't write any that week. (I did really well though, which is good) Next week was recovering from midterms. And yes that took an entire week. I wrote a bit but not too much. And THEN, Microsoft Word decided it was hungry and ATE half of what I had written, so I had to re-write it (although I do like the new version better, I am never trusting Word again…)**

**But I sat my ass down today and made myself finish the damn chapter, 'cause I wasn't going to make you guys wait another week for this post. **

**So now that that's out of the way.**

**Warning: Long chapter is long. Like, 20 pages on Word long. And yes, it IS the final chapter. I'm going to miss you all, and hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint your expectations. :')**

**On that note, thank you SO much for all the beautiful reviews and favorites you've given this fanfiction. It's my first one, so I'm apparently doing something right. Thanks, all. **

**And finally, before I let you go to read the final chapter, the final disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT in any way own Vampire Knight of the characters associated thereof. I wish I did, and if I become a millionaire someday, maybe I will buy them, but until that very distant day, I only hold claim to this storyline. **

**Enjoy, and I'll see you at the end of the fanfic~**

. . .

Ichiru cursed and flung one of his knives at a nearby wall with enough force to sink the steel tip into stone. The blade remained lodged in its resting place, quivering slightly from the impact it had just endured. Ichiru winced as the action pulled on his injured shoulder, and he glared indignantly at his left arm, which was secured in front of him in a sling. With another violent curse and a faint whistling noise, a second knife flew to join its brother, securing a place in the wall just above where its predecessor lay.

It had been four hours.

Four _hours._

And out of the hundreds of hunters who had stormed the castle to begin with, only the veterans had returned. The middle aged hunters who shared the common hatred that the hunters felt for the vampires, the men and women who had experienced the evil of vampires firsthand, had returned. Those of the newer generation had not been found, and Ichiru was beginning to suspect they had all turned tail and ran.

Ichiru cursed again, stalking over to where his knives were still quivering in the wall and yanked them free, mumbling to himself the entire time. His plan wouldn't work with the numbers he had. The veterans had made up only a quarter of the original army. Practically speaking, Ichiru had to assume that there was still at least three quarters of the vampire army left. They hadn't truly been fighting for that long of a time before Ichiru sent out the call for the hunters to return. Chances are _they _had lost more soldiers than the vampires had. Charging the enemy now would be suicide.

Ichiru sighed and leaned his shoulder against the wall wearily. He had no choice but to wait. Even the four hours he had already waited wasn't nearly enough time to find everyone. They were in hostile, unfamiliar territory that the enemy knew like the back of their hand. Every step taken to try and rally the troops from various recesses of the castle had to be meticulously planned out. A single slip could result in their numbers being decimated further, and that was the last thing Ichiru could afford.

He cast a glance down the empty hall and felt his eyes widen as he saw a youth walking warily toward him. He was definitely a younger soldier, not a veteran. Ichiru felt his plan beginning to resurrect itself from ruin.

_Could he know where his companions are?_

Ichiru shrugged himself away from the wall and walked forward to meet the boy. He was almost as tall as he was, with straight mahogany hair pulled back into a short, practical ponytail. Ichiru guessed that let down, his hair would fall between the boy's chin and shoulder. His eyes were a startling emerald, and his features were rather effeminate. He held a sword at his waist and walked as if he knew how to use it. Bowing slightly to Ichiru, the boy spoke in a lilting tone.

"Zero-sama, I have only just heard that you were rallying the troops. Many of my generation have situated ourselves in one of the larger rooms on the second floor. I beg your pardon for forcing you to wait such a long time for my appearance; I assure you we have every intention to fight under you." The youth looked up slightly before bowing lower. "With your leave, I will go and summon the rest of my companions and gather here with you."

Ichiru blinked slowly, trying to compute the boy's elaborate way of speaking. Not that Ichiru was judging, but many of the hunters from his generation weren't the brightest knives in the armory. After all, the boy standing in front of him _was _his generation – he and Zero were barely seventeen, placed in a situation of power only because of their powerful surname. The Kiriyu line was the closest thing the hunters had to a royal family. Ichiru had long ago abandoned his 'royal' bloodline, but that didn't stop him from exploiting it when it suited him.

Ichiru smiled and bowed slightly back, replying softly to the hunter. "That would be very advantageous to my plan – I was worried I was going to have to fight with my current numbers, but your news gives me great hope. How may did you say you were, again?" Ichiru knew the boy hadn't given him the number of 'friends' he had accumulated in this room of his, and he assumed it was because there weren't that many of them. He expected the youth in front of him to fidget nervously and look forlorn, but much to his surprise, the boy grinned, his emerald eyes lighting up, rather like he had a pleasant inside joke. He straightened up and turned to run down the hallway, but not before answering Ichiru with the most official number he could muster.

"Oh, I managed to rally quite a few of my fellows – almost two hundred, I'd say."

Ichiru was sure the expression on his face at that moment was far from eloquent – in fact, he was pretty sure he felt his jaw hit the floor as the youth ran away.

_That cocky little bastard. With those numbers, we'd be fairly matched against the enemy._

Ichiru eyed the youth's receding figure with scheming eyes, another asset to his plan forming in his mind.

_I'll make that boy my second in command. He'll be an amazing help with the army._

Ichiru turned around and walked back toward the veterans to tell them the latest development. Another thought passed across his mind.

_And maybe, just maybe, he knows something about where the nobles are hiding._

. . .

_Fifteen minutes earlier_

The inhabitants of the room all turned to look when the door opened, sighing in collective relief as they recognized the two vampires. The unmistakable aura of the pureblood and the shocking silver locks of his companion made them a rather noticeable pair. Ichijo smiled at the two, catching Kaname's eye slyly as the pureblood set down his precious load, who was still rather flushed about the whole scenario. He knew that carrying Zero bridal style was something Kaname had always wanted to do. The pureblood had always had rather strange wishes.

Oddly, the atmosphere in the room was rather light, despite the grave news that Ichijo had brought the lovers down to hear. Kaname looked around the room quickly, starting a little as he recognized the young hunter he had spared earlier, who was leaning over the giant table that dominated the room, discussing something with Aidou. Kaname's eyes flashed back to Ichijo, who shook his head slightly.

_It will all make sense soon._

Kaname raised his brow, shooting Ichijo a dubious look before making his way over to where the hunter and Aidou were still engrossed in conversation. Kaname cleared his throat softly, and both teens raised their heads in surprise. The hunter stood up hastily, bowing low to Kaname in respect for the vampire. His brown hair hung loose around his face, casting a shadow across it and adding an air of mystery to his presence. Kaname patted the teen's shoulder gently, signaling for him to stand. The hunter straightened slowly, and met Kaname's gaze straight on, his headstrong streak shining through his respectful façade.

Kaname gestured toward the chairs surrounding the table, and sat in one himself. While the hunter chose a seat, Kaname signaled to the rest of the room to also join him. The table soon filled up as Shiki, Rima, Ichijo and Yuuki all took their seats. Zero was already seated across from Kaname. The pureblood looked around the room before turning to Ichijo.

"Where are Ruka and Kain?"

The blond vampire smiled, a misleading expression, as the rest of the room fell stonily silent.

"Ruka was rather objective to the fact we saved Zero's life. The way she sees it, it's his fault that we're even in this situation, and she said she refused to work with him in the execution of this plan. Kain went to try a hand at cooling her down."

"Making out in a corner is more like it…" Aidou muttered from his seat, but a loaded glare from Shiki shut him up. The expressionless vampire nodded slightly in Kaname's direction, and Aidou followed Shiki's indication lazily. The blood ran from his face when he saw the pureblood's expression, and the final spark of good humor disappeared from the room.

Kaname's face was contorted in rage, his eyes flaring the purest color of crimson, lit from within with their own devilish gleam. His hands were clenched into fists on the table, and they were shaking slightly with the effort the pureblood we exerting to control himself. His entire body was tightly strung as his hands, trembling slightly as his rage nearly reached its peak. Kaname closed his glowing eyes as he struggled for control over his emotions.

"Wherever Ruka is now, keep her there. I don't want her anywhere near this room. The same goes for Kain. Keep them out." Kaname spoke through gritted teeth, spitting out the words harshly and flashing his eyes open to glare at everyone in the room, ensuring his message was understood. Everyone at the table nodded quickly, a glimmer of fear glinting in their eyes. The all remembered what had happened the last time Kaname lost his temper – the destruction he had caused in the hallway was a looming reminder. If the pureblood lost it here, in such small confines, he would not only harm many of his companions, but also himself.

Zero seemed to realize this as soon as everyone else did. He heaved himself out of his seat, waving off the help that was offered to him when he staggered forward from a sudden wave of dizziness. He shook his head violently to clear it before walking over to where Kaname sat, his hands still clenched and his eyes reclosed in concentration. Zero slid his hand over Kaname's and the pureblood's eyes flashed open once more. He made deep eye contact with the hunter, the glowing crimson drowning in shining lilac. As Zero tightened his grip on his lover's hand, the crimson in Kaname's eyes began to bleed away. In the course of a minute, Kaname was in complete control, his eyes once again the chocolate-crimson that they normally were. He blinked slowly, trying to maintain eye contact with Zero for as long as possible. The hunter smiled slightly and removed his hand, staggering back to his seat as another wave of world spinning dizziness struck him.

_This is going to be a problem….._

He couldn't even walk. How was he supposed to fight?

Zero massaged his temples with his fingers, casting a tired gaze around the room. "Well, that was exciting." He said dryly, earning a couple of small chuckles from the others. Zero sighed and closed his eyes. "What's going on, anyway? There shouldn't be any attacks being planned by the hunters. I'm their commander, and I'm here, practically bedridden. How are they rallying to attack?"

There was a loaded, awkward silence in the room. Zero opened his eyes in confusion to see everyone looking anywhere but at him – even Yuuki was avoiding eye contact. Zero's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he rounded on Ichijo.

"Ichijo…answer me. How are the hunters rallying? They are completely loyal to me! I gave them direct orders to retreat if I was captured or killed. There is no way they would disobey that order." Ichijo sighed and finally made eye contact with the hunter. His green eyes were tinged with doubt, the worry he felt about the entire situation finally bleeding into his expression.

"I agree with you, Zero. They would never turn against you. The only problem is…the hunters think that they _are_ following your orders." He refused to shift his gaze away from the hunter's face, and as a reward he saw he realization dawn in his expression.

"Ichiru…" Zero hissed, his fist clenching in annoyance. Of course it was Ichiru. He could never just take a hit and walk away. His twin always had to have the last word in a battle, and Ichiru was planning to have the final _sentence _with whatever he was planning.

Zero sighed in exasperation, shooting a glance to Kaname, who seemed almost as annoyed as he did, before addressing the rest of the room.

"So what _exactly _is going on?"

He spoke to Ichijo, but to his surprise, the vampire nodded toward Yuuki and the other hunter teen, who seemed surprised that they were being addressed. The boy recovered before Yuuki could, and brushed his brown hair out of his eyes before launching into an explanation.

"We had a few spies hanging around the castle. They heard that Zero…well, Ichiru pretending to be Zero…was organizing all of the hunters back at the rear entrance, where we entered the castle. We had our spies follow along with the plan, and they found out that Ichiru was planning to rush us." The hunter paused, looking around the room to make sure everyone was still with him. "Ichiru plans to muster up every single man he can and just run through the castle as a group. To me, this seems like an incredibly stupid plan, but then again, Ichiru doesn't seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer." The room broke into scattered laughter. The hunter smiled, his emerald eyes sparkling as he continued.

"Now, Ichiru sent out this call for hunters almost four hours ago. By now, the only hunters who would have shown up are the veterans – everyone from our generation is hidden away in a safe room, where we've been gathering ever since Kaname offered us mercy for not wanting to fight." He bowed slightly to Kaname, who smiled slightly and waved the hunter to continue. He was thoroughly engrossed in this hunter's planning.

"We – the younger hunters – make up at least three quarters of the entire army. That's about two hundred soldiers." Zero let out a low whistle. The young hunter looked up and smiled briefly before moving on. "Ichiru cannot go on with his plan without us. Now, my idea is this." He leaned his elbows on the table, and everyone leaned in to concentrate on what he was saying.

"I will go and meet with Ichiru, tell him that me and my companions were waiting somewhere secluded and had only just now heard about the call he had sent out. I'll go get all the younger hunters, and Ichiru will have enough people to execute his plan. Now, the hunters in my group will all know what's going on. How many people are left in your army?" He looked over to Kaname, who looked slyly over to Ichijo. Ichijo laughed and told the hunter "Our entire army is still intact. We had a few casualties, but nothing serious. That means we have about two hundred and fifty soldiers." The hunter nodded, smiling.

"Perfect. That'll do nicely. I want you to organize your soldiers into groups of fifty. Me and my group will lure the hunters into a wide open area, and your army can come in at all sides. We will 'fight' along with the hunters, but obviously we won't be killing anyone." Everyone was nodding, agreeing with the hunter's plan. The boy finished up with one final statement.

"There is no way this can fail – they won't know what hit them."

. . .

_Present_

"Hunters…this is it! The moment to eradicate these petty vampires has arrived!"

Ichiru's voice flew out across his now replenished numbers, who all looked up as they heard his words. They stopped their individual conversations to stand to attention for their commander, and listened to what he had to say.

"The time has come! The vampires have been waiting, waiting for us to make a move. This has put them on edge, made them nervous. It's time for us to topple them over the edge of the knife they are perched on, and win this battle once and for all!" Many of the hunters cheered, but a brown haired individual rolled his eyes in exasperation. Even if he hadn't known earlier, there is no way in hell he would have confused this idiot with Zero. Zero would never say something that poetic.

"Our plan is this! We storm the enemy in one hard rush! They won't know what hit them; we'll crush them with our sheer numbers, and be out of here before the next hour!"

The teen rolled his eyes again as the crowd cheered louder.

_Zero also wouldn't announce his plan to the whole damn castle. He _does _realize the vampires can hear him, right? _

Ichiru raised his hands to quiet the cheering. When the crowd was silent once more, he bent in slowly, as if he were going to tell a secret. When he spoke, his voice was considerably quieter.

"At least…that _was _the plan…"

The green eyed teen froze, his back stiffening in surprise at the news. _Maybe he's just bluffing. Maybe this is another part of his rousing speech._

Ichiru signaled at someone behind him, and the crowd gasped as two people were pushed into their line of vision. Ichiru straightened up smirking at his captives before addressing the crowd. He put a finger to his lips and said

"I'm not going to yell _this _plan for all to hear…I'm not that stupid. You will all hear the new development, little by little. After all, there's no rush. Our friends aren't going anywhere." He sneered at the vampires behind him, who were both staring at the ground in submission. Ichiru turned back to the crowd, to accept the loudest cheers he had heard yet.

One individual stared intensely at the ground, trying desperately to figure a way out of this. This new development changed everything.

_I need to tell Zero…Kaname…their plan…won't work._

He looked up at the captives, surprised that they had their heads up in defiance, and were staring straight at him. One was male with short orange hair, the other female with flowing blonde locks. The hunter had never met them or spoken to them, but he knew who they were. And unfortunately, the fact they had been captured meant bad news for the rest of the vampire army.

The hunter returned his gaze to the ground, his eyes closing in defeat.

_I need to tell the others that they have Ruka and Kain._

…_What are we going to do?_

. . .

Zero walked between the many vampire who were readying their weapons, double checking their armor, and conversing excitedly with one another. They had the upper hand again. There was no way the hunters were going to win this battle. That fact lifted everyone's spirits considerably, and the room was filled with hushed, excited whispers.

Zero looked to his side and smiled quickly. Kaname was walking beside him with a huge grin on his face, no doubt fueling the happy and excited atmosphere that surrounded him. If the pureblood was happy, everyone was happy. He too was observing the soldiers ready for battle, his own armor gleaming darkly against his pale skin. Zero looked down to marvel at his own armor, taking in each detail in a boyish wonder.

Apparently, Kaname had lost the hunter's armor – how he lost it, the pureblood wouldn't say. However, Kaname had smirked almost unnoticeably when he told the hunter, so Zero decided not to comment further. Instead of his shining silver array, Zero was now clad in the armor of the vampires, the black and crimson hues contrasting greatly with his silver hair and light lilac eyes. He didn't know it, but he made a stunning impression on many of the vampires in the room, for he looked more posed than anyone had ever seen him, and with Kaname by his side, he looked to be invincible.

"Kaname-sama! News from the front!"

A voice called from across the room. Zero craned his neck to see who it was, but he couldn't see past the sea of faces in front of him. He returned his gaze to the pureblood beside him, who had a blasé expression on his face, but the hunter knew that his lover was extremely anxious to hear the latest development. He may act nonchalant for the sake of the army, but Zero could see the amount of stress this war was placing on Kaname. The vampire in question noticed Zero's knowing look, and smirked slightly. He brushed his hand along the hunter's jaw, smiling devilishly at the blush that colored his lover's cheeks. He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his forehead before whispering "I'll be right back." He sprinted quickly through the crowd, disappearing in an instant.

Zero found himself alone in the middle of a room full of vampires. Despite now being a vampire himself, he still considered himself to be a hunter – and the looks that some of the crowd shot him showed that they felt the same. He tried not to let the glares put him down, but as the hostile looks intensified, Zero began to shift warily from side to side, automatically shifting into a fight-ready pose. These vampires might be putting up with him for the battle to come, but they wouldn't be quiet and complacent about it for much longer.

One soldier in particular was giving him the evil eye – a white haired vampire with startling amber eyes was leaning against a wall a little ways off from where Zero stood. Looking to his left, the vampire caught the eye of the person who had drawn Kaname away from the hunter, raising a single eyebrow in inquiry. The other vampire nodded quickly before turning his attention to the pureblood before him, quickly ushering him out of the room, talking at a rapid pace.

The white haired vampire shrugged off of the wall, walking lithely toward Zero, his eyes burning a golden yellow. The hunter watched his advance warily, not liking the feral look in his eyes at all. The gold eyes seems to be staring into his very soul, as vampire eyes tended to do, but this person seemed to be extremely dissatisfied with what he saw there. He stopped his advance a foot away from the silver haired commander, standing up straight and making blatant eye contact with his superior. He waited a full minute before bowing, and when he did, it was an obviously mocking gesture, his messy white hair falling in front of his face as he bent over at the waist, his right arm sweeping the floor before straightening up again with a sneer.

"Don't you look so regal and important. Walking around like you're king of…everything. And with your beautiful – not to mention powerful – partner by your side, you make the picture of perfection." The vampire circled Zero, eyeing him up and down with the sneer still marring his features. "Yes, very perfect, isn't it? This little lie you're telling yourself." He suddenly grabbed Zero by the throat and pulled him close, his face a mere two inches from the sneer he was beginning to loathe.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? It's your fault we're fighting this battle anyway – you brought the hunters here. I say you go and fix it. Leave us out of it. Take responsibility and fix this little mess, so we don't have to lose any more of our friends. I'm not fighting under some pretty boy hunter who thinks he sees a vampire when he looks in the mirror. You're not one of us, you're a hunter. You're an enemy, and you always will be." He tightened his grip around the hunter's throat, lifting Zero completely off the ground. It was times like this that he was reminded of the fact that he was far weaker than a natural born vampire. Anyone in the room could pick him up like a rag doll and play with him as they wished. He stared his captor in the eyes, his own lilac orbs burning with disgust. He took a shaky breath around the clamp on his throat and forced out a mocking laugh.

"You know, they say only the most idiotic vampires dare cross a hunter of the Kiriyu line. So what does that make you, my friend?"

The air was suddenly whipping around his body, and Zero grunted softly as he made full body contact with the wall across the room from where he had been standing. He slid to the floor, a trickle of blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth. He had bit his tongue when he collided with the wall.

_The bastard threw me across the fucking room. Who _does _that?_

He shook his head to clear away the fuzziness that threatened his vision. He couldn't take much of this – he was still recovering from the immense blood loss he had endured only hours before. The dizziness that he had been fighting back ever since he woke up returned full throttle, coupled with a pounding headache, courtesy of the wall he was leaning heavily against. He winced in pain as a particularly painful throb caused his vision to turn black, completely obscuring his vision for a few seconds. His vision continued to fade in and out with every breath he took, causing the world he saw to be incredibly disjointed and confusing. Through his brief flashes of clarity, he could see the amber eyed vampire walking slowly toward him, taking his time, mockingly showing the rest of the room that Zero was obviously not going anywhere. The hunter growled in annoyance, forcing his limbs to move, despite the dizziness. Zero slid up the wall, using the sturdy brick for support as he stood up to his full height. He lifted his head and wiped his hand across his mouth, coloring the back of his hand with a crimson streak as he whipped away the blood that was trickling from the cut in his mouth. Shrugging off of the wall, he fought off the intense wave of vertigo that pounded into his skull and faced his enemy head on. The vampire seemed surprised that Zero had been able to stand, but continued to walk toward him at a casual pace, not seeming bothered by the hunter in the least. Zero settled his hand on the hilt of his sword, watching with a sick delight as the vampire advancing on him paused for a moment before reviving his casual gait, but with a slightly nervous edge added to it, as if he were awaiting an attack, and was ready to retaliate.

_Oh, how I wish I had my gun._ Zero thought bitingly, only now remembering what Yagari had told him all those years ago: Never drop the gun – which can be translated as never leave the gun resting on your bed at home because you think you won't need it. Zero cursed quietly to himself as the vampire finally came to a stop, only a few feet away with his hands turned palm up and a small smirk on his face. As Zero cast a calculating gaze over his enemy, he realized with a growing dread that the vampire had no visible weaponry on him. His stance and the fact his hands were set palm up led Zero to believe that this individual was an expert knife fighter – not to mention knife thr –

A sharp whistling sound shrilled next to his ear, and Zero jerked instinctively to the right. He turned around slightly to see an ornate throwing knife secured precariously in the wall behind him.

_Shit. I really want my gun._

Another wave of vertigo hit him, and he sank to his knees, holding his head in agony. The action saved his life, for two more daggers were sent flying towards him the instant he fell to the ground. They passed harmlessly over his head, joining their brother in the wall behind their target. Wasting no time, Zero stumbled to his feet and forced his way through the crowd of people that had formed around him. Many of the vampires laughed at him, shouting insults as he passed.

"Coward."

"Lily liver"

"Yellow"

"And we were supposed to afraid of the courageous Kiriyu line?"

The last line was delivered by the vampire responsible for this entire scenario. His amber eyes glowed gold once again as he followed Zero through the milling crowd. He was laughing mockingly along with the rest of the vampires, continuing to shoot select insults in the hunter's direction. Zero gritted his teeth and continued toward his destination, a large metal column in the middle of the room. Kaname had once told him it was used rather like a podium to make announcements.

_Well, I've got one hell of an announcement to make._

He clambered over to the side of the column, where there where a half a dozen evenly spaced pegs going up from the ground. Grabbing the first one, Zero hoisted himself up the side. Ignoring the extreme dizziness the exertion brought on, he continued to climb until his feet were securely on the fifth peg, his right hand grasping the sixth as he leaned out to the left, holding on for dear life. He observed the crowd of hostile vampires fifteen feet below him and took a steadying breath. He opened eyes and shouted with all his might.

"_Listen up, you fucking imbeciles!"_

. . .

"Where are you taking me? Surely the news you have to deliver can be told in an empty hallway. There is no one else here."

Kaname stared at his escorts back as the vampire in front of him shook his head rapidly, quickening the pace that he was maintaining as they practically ran down the long, vacant hallway. Kaname grew more and more nervous the more distance was put between him and Zero. He had left his lover in a room full of vampires who were not too happy with the army of hunters Zero had brought to their castle. Kaname had to be sure to always stay within speaking distance of the hunter, in fear of the teen being attacked by a overly-enraged vampire. Kaname shook his head to clear to ugly images from his mind.

_Zero will be fine. He can take care of himself._

"Kaname!"

The pureblood turned at the sound of his lover's voice behind him. Zero was running at him full throttle, a fearful look in his eyes and an anti-vampire staff in his hands. Kaname vaguely recognized the weapon as the staff that Yuuki was constantly carrying around with her. Before he could think anything else, Zero ran straight into him, clutching at the front of his shirt in a terrified manner. As Kaname looked into his lover's wide eyes, his brow furrowed in confusion. Something wasn't…

An immense shock ran through his body, and he sank heavily to his knees. His vision was dominated by gray spots as he concentrated on breathing in and out. He could vaguely hear Zero talkng to the other vampire.

"Thank you for your services – I'll give you your reward now."

The sound of a gunshot rang through the hall, followed almost immediately by a sick thud. Kaname closed his eyes in self-loathing as he realized his stupidity.

It wasn't Zero who stood in front of him with a smoking gun. Zero was safe, back in the main room with the army.

The teen standing in front of him was his enemy; the true cause of all the pain and discord that ran through the castle during the past few hours.

Ichiru grinned demonically as he lowered the butt of the gun onto the pureblood's skull. Kaname fell to the ground without a sound. Ichiru nodded to himself before signaling to someone behind him.

"Take him and put him with the rest." A dark haired hunter nodded slightly, his emerald eyes downcast as he grabbed Kaname's wrists and began to drag the pureblood's unconscious body down the hall in the direction of the hunter base.

Ichiru didn't bother to watch the teen behind him. He knew he would do what he was told. And if he didn't…

Ichiru fingered the gun in his grip before putting it back in its holster. The hunter arsenal was proving to be more helpful than he had originally thought. He had found the gun completely on accident, and from that accident, he had secured the most valuable hostage in the entire castle. He cast a glance down the hallway, a smirk growing across his face.

"What's your next move, dear brother? Once you find out that your precious lover is mine now."

He turned with a laugh and made his way back to the base, his smirk never leaving his face.

. . .

The room went from a screaming mob to silence in the course of a millisecond.

Zero was already panting slightly, but he forged ahead anyway. He had to get through to these people.

"Just listen up, fools. Do you realize what you're doing? You're causing inner turmoil. We're fighting amongst ourselves! Well…let me correct myself. You're fighting _me_. And frankly, I don't appreciate it." He cast his gaze out over the crowd, taking in each individual face. Many still fumed with anger, but some seemed to be fighting down laughter at his statement. Zero had to hold back a smirk of his own. If he could win these people over…

He took a breath and started again.

"Look, I'm no good at motivating speeches. I tend to just say whatever the fuck comes to mind and be done with it. So, here goes. You told me that it's my fault we're even in this situation…and it's true. I'm not going to deny it." There was a rumble of hushed conversation that swept through the crowd. It was obvious that everyone had thought he was going to deny his actions. Zero shook his head with a sigh. Did these people know him at all?

The truth hit him hard. They had no idea what he was like. Every person in this room saw him as Kaname's lover, or Kaname's pet. They saw him as the hunter responsible for this entire mess. He had never associated with the various servants that worked here during the month he had lived here. These people had no idea who he was.

_That needs to change._

"Now, I have a question for all of you." The room fell silent once more. Zero nodded slightly to himself before voicing his question.

"How many of you actually want to fight this battle? How many of you are willing to defend this castle with your life, and every person in it as well? Show of hands."

He could tell they thought it was stupid. There was a collective muttering through the crowd, but eventually someone put their hand up. One was all it took. Everyone followed suit, until the entire room had their hands in the air. Zero smiled slightly as he raised his own hand, enjoying the looks of surprise that littered the room. Zero waved his hand dismissively, and lowered his hand, showing that the poll was finished. His lilac eyes shone with victory as he saw some of the vampires wore understanding expressions on their faces. He spoke his thoughts for those who were still confused.

"That's right. I want to protect this castle, and its people, as much as you do. You think I'm just a heartless hunter – I see it in your faces. And at the beginning of the day, I was." Zero looked out over the crowd, noticing he had every drop of their concentration. Zero sighed before continuing.

"It's amazing, how just a few hours can change your entire outlook on things. Now, I'm not gonna get mushy on you, so you can relax." There was a light ripple of laughter through the room. "But I ask this one thing. Can we save the hunter-killing for the battlefield? I don't care if you stake me, claw me, throw me into a wall…" Another ripple of laughter. "…but remember this. I'm not just a hunter. I am a vampire as well, and I wish to protect this castle as much as you. Remember that, before you try to kill me. Thank you. Get ready – we fight as soon as Kaname returns."

"I'm afraid you may want to change your game plan, Zero-sama."

Zero looked down to see Seiren standing at the base of the column. Zero hurriedly clambered down to the ground, fighting off the slight dizziness the rapid descent brought on. He focused his gaze on the near invisible vampire, not liking the worried look on her face one bit.

Seiren bowed slightly before speaking. "I'm afraid we have been betrayed. Kaname-sama has been captured by the enemy. There is no way we can fight the hunters head on if we wish for him to live."

A collective gasp went through the room, and the entire crowd all started talking at once. Seiren raised a hand to stop the chatter and continued. "There's one more thing." She looked directly at Zero, a cold look in her eyes.

"Your brother wishes to have an audience with you. He wants you and your army in the main hall in ten minutes – no tricks. He says that he and the hunters will meet you there to parley. He says the consequences of not coming will be Kaname's death."

Zero closed his eyes in defeat and allowed himself one minute of frustration. He turned to the army and said in a weary voice: "We'd better get moving. Let's go."

. . .

Kaname awoke to someone calling his name.

The voice was shrill and unfamiliar, as well as incessant. The pureblood groaned and rolled onto his back, squinting his eyes shut against the pounding headache that was centered in the crown of his head. He was going to kill that silver haired bastard the next time he saw him…

"Kaname-sama! Thank goodness!"

The voice sounded again, and Kaname winced at the sheer volume of the noise. It was a young girl's voice, and Kaname peeled one eye open to see who it was. He was granted a glimpse of chocolate brown hair and dark reddish eyes before he had to squeeze his eyes shut once more. He had seen enough though. His little 'guardian angel' was none other than Yuuki Cross. He groaned quietly as he realized what had happened. No wonder Ichiru had had Yuuki's staff. He had captured her. And judging by the sound of quiet conversation a few feet away, Kaname was willing to bet that Ichiru had captured the rest of the nobles as well.

A familiar scent wafted over him, and Kaname knew his hunch was correct. His head was lifted into someone's lap, and he felt someone's fingers gently brush his unkempt hair out of his face. He forced his eyes open past his pounding headache to meet Shiki's calm, distant gaze. The auburn-haired vampire smiled gently, still working his apt fingers through the dark chocolate locks. The words that came out of his mouth starkly contrasted the soothing gesture.

"Get up off your ass, you lazy bum. We need you."

Kaname sighed and tried to force his headache back into nonexistence. Realizing it was futile, he gave up and resigned himself to the pain. He heaved himself up onto his elbows, using Shiki's arms for support as he stood up completely, staggering over to where the other captives we huddled in a corner, avidly conversing their next move.

Kaname dropped gracelessly to the ground, holding his head in his hands and muttering "where the fuck are we?"

The nobles looked at each other before Aidou responded. "You know that dank, dark, creepy pit near the back entrance that no one knows what the fuck to do with? Well…the hunters found a use for it."

Kaname cursed and staggered to his feet again, only to be brought down by another wave of pain coupled with an intense bought of nausea. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep his stomach under control and the pain in his head to a minimum. He barely registered the fact that Shiki was by his side again, stroking his hair in a calming fashion. He gasped as another spear of pain jabbed through his brain, the feeling almost causing him to lose consciousness. Shiki's voice kept him from falling completely.

"Kaname, you fool, we need you to be awake for this. Ichiru is coming in about two minutes to take us to the battlefield. We're his hostage – he intends to use us as bait for Zero. I need you to listen to me. Whatever you do, don't let Zero know you have this." He pressed something into Kaname's hand, closing the fingers around it until the object was completely hidden. "Hold onto it until I give you the cue. When that happens, I want you to throw it as far as you can, as hard as you can. Do you understand?"

Kaname's brow furrowed in confusion, but he nodded his assent. Whatever Shiki had planned, it would benefit everyone. Shiki never did anything rash or non-thought out. He would ensure that everyone got through this safely. Kaname clutched the unknown object in his hand, trusting Shiki enough to not look at what it was. He closed his eyes once more as grate above them that locked them in was pushed unceremoniously aside. Without even looking, Kaname could tell that Ichiru was standing above them with a smirk on his face.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's show time. You, and you, get them out of there." He pointed to two people behind him, and a few seconds later, two hunters entered the cell.

Five minutes later, all of the vampires were freed of the cell, but were chained tightly around the wrists. All except Kaname and Shiki, who were allowed their 'freedom' only because of their situations. Kaname was still too loopy to do anything, and Shiki was granted permission to carry the pureblood to the battlefield. Ichiru glances over his entourage before signaling to move.

"Let's go. We were supposed to be there ten minutes ago."

As the entire group started moving, Shiki looked over his shoulder at the person no one seemed to notice. His dark brown hair was swept out around him, and his emerald green eyes were peacefully closed. A pool of blood was spreading slowly from his still form, and his right hand was dangling over the entrance to the cell they had just been in. Shiki blinked once at the body in a silent apology before returning his gaze in front of him, a quiet tear running down his face.

He had never even learned the boy's name.

. . .

Zero paced back and forth impatiently, fingering the hilt of his sword in frustration. Ichiru was fifteen minutes late. _Wasn't he the one who told me to be on time or else? And now he's fifteen fucking minutes late. Typical. _

Zero cast a glance behind him at the waiting army. They had all followed him, he was surprised to note. He had thought that it would take ages of convincing, especially considering his treatment not a half an hour earlier. But their devotion to Kaname seemed to have overcome their hatred for him, and Zero was thankful.

_Even having an army of vampires who hate you at our back is better than fighting alone._

Before he could think anything else, Zero's head snapped to where he saw a familiar silver head across the hall. Ichiru had finally decided to show up. Zero began walking toward the middle of the hall, his army following behind him. He noted with relief that all of the nobles behind Ichiru seemed unharmed, although chained at the wrists and guarded by the entire hunter army. Yuuki, too, was unharmed. The only one who seemed for the worse was Kaname, who hung limply in Shiki's arms. Zero felt his heart pinch in panic, but his lover's eyes fluttered open for an instant before closing again, his right hand clenching into a tighter fist. Zero breathed a sigh of relief before turning his attention to his twin, who now stood not five feet away with a mocking smile on his face.

"Well, glad to see you showed up, Zero-kun." The smile grew until Zero thought childishly that his twin's face would break in two. Shaking the thought out of his head, Zero glared at his mirror image, a sneer forming on his lips.

"I could say the same for you. Now what is it you want?"

Ichiru laughed.

"My dear brother, tell me you aren't that stupid? I thought it was obvious." The entire hunter army started whispering quietly to one another, showing that they had not known Ichiru's true identity until this moment. Ichiru beckoned to Shiki, and the vampire walked up to the silver haired teen's side, still carrying the pureblood in his arms. Ichiru leaned against the vampire, a mocking smirk on his face. He twisted a finger through a strand of Kaname's hair, much to the pureblood's discomfort. Ichiru chuckled before returning his attention to his brother, who stood fuming with anger.

"I'll propose a trade with you. The vampire for you. That's all. I'll even give you all the vampires and the hunter girl. I just want you to return to the right side, that's all. That's all I want, Zero."

The expression on Ichiru's face was a pleading one. He held out a welcoming hand to his brother, who stared at it untrustingly. Zero arched a brow at his twin, wondering what in hell he could be up to. But the desperate pleading look in Ichiru's eyes seemed genuine. He tentatively held out his hand, and was millimeters from shaking with Ichiru when he saw Shiki shake his head. The vampire's eyes were absolutely feral with the need to get the message across.

_Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. DON'T DO IT!_

Zero slapped Ichiru's hand away and stepped backward. His twin was holding his hand against his chest, his eyes downcast and his hair falling in front of his face. When he raised his head, his eyes were cold.

"Í see you've made your choice."

Ichiru raised his hand in the air, the same hand he had extended to Zero only seconds before. He turned to the army standing behind him.

"It seems we'll have to quicken the executions! I was going to let you hold them after I had secured my brother, but as you can see, he has chosen his side. Kill him with the rest!"

Many things happened at once.

The entire vampire army surged forward in a single motion, their frustration and anger finally breaking their façade.

The hunter army did the same, running forward to meet their enemies in a final clash for power.

Ichiru's insane laughter rang through the hall, bouncing off the walls and pounding into Zero's head.

Zero unsheathed his sword and ran towards his twin, intending to settle their rivalry once and for all.

And above all the noise, one voice rang out a single command.

"Kaname! NOW!"

The world exploded into white.

. . .

"_Psst! Shiki!"_

_The vampire looked wearily up at the grate that was separating him and his friends from freedom. He blinked in surprise to see their hunter friend leaning over the grate, his dark brown hair dangling through the holes in the grate and his green eyes screaming urgency. _

"_Shiki, come here!"_

_The vampire looked over at the rest of the nobles, who were engaged in heated conversation, and at Kaname, who was still out cold. After a second's debate, Shiki sidled over to where the hunter was, standing directly beneath where the boy was sitting._

_Casting a look behind him, the hunter reached into his shirt and pulled out a little vial of bright green liquid. He carefully lowered his arm though one of the holes in the grate, holding out the vial for Shiki to take._

"_Be careful with it – it's highly explosive. I don't know what it is, so don't ask me. One of y vampire friends gave it to me before I left to be enlisted. She said that if I was ever in a mess and I needed to escape badly, to throw this with all my might at the ground, and any hunter within a fifteen foot radius would drop unconscious. It's got some kind of drug in it. It won't kill them, but they'll be out for a few hours. Take is, use it to help you."_

_Shiki looked the hunter in the eyes as he took the little vial. As he examined it, he found it hard to believe that such a small thing could help them so much. He looked back up at the hunter, giving him one of his rare smiles before hiding the vial away. The hunter boy smiled back before shifting away from the grate._

"_I have to go. If Ichiru finds me here, he'll kill me. Good luck! I'll see you after all this is over."_

_Shiki nodded, and the boy disappeared. He closed his eyes and sighed, already planning on how to use the advantage the boy had given him._

_Distantly, he heard a conversation above him._

"_Hey! You! What were you doing over there?" There was a pounding of feet as someone ran over._

"_I was just telling the leeches what I thought of them! What's so wrong with that?"_

"_You were talking to them? Commander Zero! This boy was talking to the prisoners."_

"…_Was he now? Well, that's a pity."_

_There was a moment of silence before a gunshot rang through the castle. Shiki opened his eyes in despair as the realization hit him. He ran to the grate, straining to see anything beyond the metal bars. _

_All he could see was the ceiling, far, far above him, and a pale, youthful hand dangling over the grate. _

_The same hand that had handed them the key to their salvation only seconds before._

_Shiki looked down at the little vial in his hands. The little bit of green liquid had cost the boy above him his life._

_Shiki closed his eyes again as pair of tears slid down his face. _

_He hadn't even known his name. _

. . .

Kaname groaned and opened his eyes, only to shut them immediately.

_Why the fuck am I outside?_

He opened his eyes slightly, allowing just enough light in so that he could kind of see. All he was able to make out was a lot of people moving around him, and a gigantic hole in the middle of the wall. The sun was just setting over the horizon, spreading rays of crimson all throughout the halls of the castle. Kaname closed his eyes again, having seen enough.

It was finally over.

What had seemed like two months of fighting was finally over.

"Hey, you're awake. Well, kinda."

Zero's voice caused Kaname's eyes to flash open again, heedless of the sunlight streaming in through the hole in the wall. He squinted at his lover, his eyes tearing up as both a reaction to the spearing sunlight and the relief that Zero was alright. The hunter had taken off his armor, and changed into a clean set of clothes. It was a simple shirt and pants outfit, but to Kaname, Zero was the most beautiful he had ever seen him.

The silver haired teen knelt next to his lover, smoothing his hair back out of his face. "You're thinking perverted thoughts again, aren't you? I can see it in your eyes." Zero grinned devilishly, and Kaname returned the gesture.

"Why, who wouldn't with you in the room? After all, you're quite a catch, my little hunter."

Zero smiled softly and ruffled Kaname's hair.

"Ex-hunter. I've been kidding myself, thinking I could be both. I went back to being a hunter, and look what happened. You almost died, many innocent lives were taken, and we blew another fucking hole into the wall. We've gotta stop doing that, you know."

Zero grew serious for a brief instant while he explained the aftereffects of the battle.

"We lost at least fifty soldiers in total, which isn't too bad in the big scheme of things, but it's still fifty lives lost. After you threw that little vial of explosives, every hunter in the room fell unconscious. Shiki explained things to me. Apparently it was some sort of hunter sedative. But, whatever it was, it made rounding up and tying up all the hunters a breeze. We're still waiting for them to wake up, but as soon as they do, they're being sent on a mass exodus home. Ichiru is going with them. Yagari will keep a close eye on him." Zero gazed off into space for a moment before focusing once again on the wall – or the lack thereof.

"How the fuck are we going to fix that?"

Kaname broke down into peals of childish laughter. He was still dizzy and loopy from the injury he had sustained to his head, so the pureblood was acting the equivalent of a drunk human. Zero was presented with a sudden idea, and with an evil smirk, he swooped in to capture Kaname's lips with a kiss. The pureblood froze, surprised at first, but when Zero didn't pull away, he kissed back in earnest. Zero pulled the vampire up into a tight embrace, never breaking the kiss that they were sharing.

Too soon, the moment was over, for both vampires had to resurface for air. Kaname looked at his lover in wonder, and the silver haired teen looked down with a smile.

"Consider that your apology. I never should have left you. I'm sorry."

Kaname cupped Zero's face in his hands as the last rays of sunlight sank beneath the horizon. The pureblood's eyes glowed crimson as night finally fell, and he leaned up to press a kiss to the ex-hunter's lips.

"You are forgiven, Zero. You always were."

He swept a silver lock of hair out of the vampire's eyes and smiled gently.

"Welcome to the eternal realm of the night, my love. May you stay happy and beside me forever."

As the first stars winked into existence, two vampires shared the first kiss of their new life. In the world they were about to create, humans and vampires learned to live peacefully side by side. However, to the two vampires, that future was very far away. They were both living in the moment before them, the blessed time that they were finally able to spend together. Not as enemies, as rivals, or as commanders of war, but as what the truly were – two lovers with an eternity in front of them.

~Fin~

. . .

**A/N (again): And there you have it. Reviews are always welcome, and I hope this chapter made enough sense to be enjoyable. ^_^" But if it didn't, note me and I'll fix it. **

**I already have another fanfiction idea in mind…anyone who knows the anime Katekyo Hitman Reborn! should be very excited :P And not meaning to get all sentimental again, but thanks so much for putting up with me and my crappily spaced updates…I hope the fanfic was worth it. :D**

**See you next fanfic! **

**~FailFroggy**


End file.
